Japan said Tuesday it had obtained information that North Korea fired into the Yellow Sea another Silkworm antiship missile earlier the same day.

But South Korea flatly denied there had been a missile launch. A South Korean defense ministry spokesman was quoted by AFP-Jiji as saying that "there was no sign that North Korea test-fired a missile today."

The official reportedly said Seoul reached the conclusion after a thorough investigation and through coordination with U.S. intelligence.