The South Korean military said Saturday it had detected a North Korean submarine fire a ballistic missile off the eastern shore.
"If the reports about the new launch of missile by North Korea are confirmed, it means this open disregard of the international community on the part of the North Korean regime has acquired new quality. We condemn Pyongyang government's provocation in a most serious way," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Germany will work within the European Union and with all the other partners so that the international community decides and unequivocally responds to the behavior of North Korea," it stressed.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in early January and put a satellite into orbit a month later, violating UN Security Council resolutions and triggering condemnation from the international community.