North Korea has paraded soldiers, tanks and other military hardware in Pyongyang to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of its founding president, Kim Il-sung.
The latest launch - which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast off - came a day after the North held a defiant massive military parade in Pyongyang showcasing almost 60 missiles - including a suspected new intercontinental ballistic missile.
Flanked by senior party and military officials, Kim inspected the choreographed military pageant, returning a salute by goose-stepping soldiers marching at the square, according to live footage aired by the state TV broadcaster. Analysts say the missiles could one day be capable of hitting targets as far as the continental United States, although North Korea has yet to flight test them.
China, alarmed at rising US-North Korea tensions, on April 15 called for talks leading to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Mr Trump has diverted the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group towards the Korean peninsula in a show of force aimed at deterring Pyongyang from conducting another nuclear test or launching more missiles. He has repeatedly said if China, North Korea's dominant trading partner, is unwilling to do more to pressure the North, the US might take the matter into its own hands.
"Look, we've tried for 25 years across Republican and Democratic administrations to persuade the North Koreans to give up their quest for nuclear weapons".
The failed missile came the day after Pyongyang publicly showcased its ballistic arsenal at a giant military parade.
Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test. The New York Times reported last month that the United States military is working hard on missile defences that would involve sabotage rather than traditional anti-missile interceptors.
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Pence will meet with leaders in South Korea and Japan to possibly discuss ways to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs as well as matters related to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to South Korea.
Pyongyang is already under several sets of United Nations sanctions over its atomic and ballistic missile programmes.
Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime's collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the U.S. military on its doorstep.
In his annual New Year's address, Kim said North Korea's preparations for an ICBM launch had "reached the final stage". That was the site of a ballistic missile test earlier this month in which the projectile fell into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
Kim has conducted three nuclear tests along with a number of missile launches since succeeding his father as leader in 2011.
The country has vowed to permanently seek the simultaneous pursuit of nuclear development and economic growth, commonly known as the "byongjin policy".
"Now the United States is once again seriously considering some kind of military strikes on either North Korea's missile or nuclear facilities", Mr Yang told the Australian Financial Review.
Seoul said that the North appears all set to carry out a nuclear test at any time upon its leadership's decision. This matters because while North Korea regularly launches short-range missiles, it is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target USA troops in Asia and, eventually, the US mainland.
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