The security chiefs of South Korea and the United States on Thursday condemned North Korea's latest missile test and agreed to craft a strong response to its provocations, Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

During a 20-minute phone call that began at 8 a.m. (Korea time), national security adviser Kim Kwan-jin and his US counterpart H.R. McMaster agreed to maintain close cooperation over the North's saber-rattling, Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.

The reclusive state fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea on Wednesday ahead of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Trump's seaside retreat in Florida later this week.

During the phone talks, McMaster said that Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats will be dealt with as an important issue during the meeting, the press release said.

The two sides also agreed to push for a "multi-faceted" way to strengthen international pressure and sanctions on the North to have it change its behavior.

They also reaffirmed that they will press ahead with the installation of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to South Korea. China has vehemently opposed the deployment, which it said would undermine its security interests. (Yonhap)