The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off its eastern coast.

South Korea's military said the missile was fired in the early hours of Wednesday morning near the coastal city of Sinpo.

A defense ministry official said the DPRK's missile technology appeared to have advanced compared with previous launches as the warhead flew around 500 kilometers before crashing into the sea.

The launch comes against a backdrop of rising tensions on the peninsula, following the start of a large-scale joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.