Strongly condemn North Korea missile launch: Shinzo Abe

North Korea's firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency.

The launch comes a day after the U.S. and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after the North warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States.

"We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, the agency said.

Abe also said the missile launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security, it added.

Saturday's launch appeared to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Korea's military said.