A North Korean missile 'blew up almost immediately' on its test launch, hours before US Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program.

Sunday's failed launch from North Korea's east coast, ignoring repeated admonitions from major ally China, came a day after North Korea held a grand military parade in its capital, marking the birth anniversary of the state founder, displaying what appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles.

China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged views on the 'situation on the Korean peninsula' by phone on Sunday, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. Yang said the two sides should maintain dialogue.

tension緊迫
ballistic missile弾道ミサイル
late故～
launch発射する