"There was no sign that North Korea test-fired a missile today," a ministry spokesman told AFP. "That's our ministry's official stance on the issue."

South Korea issued the denial following a thorough investigation and co-ordination with US intelligence, the spokesman said.

The denial came some three hours after Japan said that North Korea had test-fired an anti-ship missile from its western coast earlier Tuesday.

North Korea test-fired short-range anti-ship missiles on February 24 and March 10 off its east coast into the Sea of Japan.

"A missile was launched today at around 10:15 am (0115 GMT)," a Japanese defense agency spokesman said in Tokyo. "But we don't know any more details."

Japanese officials said the launch site was Hwajinri in Pyongannam province and said the missile's range was 60 kilometres (38 miles).

The South Korean defense ministry spokesman said the Japanese report was apparently not based on concrete information.

"As far as I know, Japan's military authorities had an intelligence report, not what you would describe as solid information on the alleged launch," he said.

"Based on the result of South Korean and US military intelligence authorities' investigation, we confirm again there was no missile launch from North Korea today."

Yonhap news agency cited military analysts here as saying North Korea may have test-fired an artillery piece, rather than a missile.

SPACE.WIRE