SEOUL (REUTERS) - The frontrunner in South Korea's presidential election sees North Korea's latest attempted missile launch on Saturday (April 29) as "an exercise in futility", his spokesman said.

"We urge again the Kim Jong Un regime to immediately stop reckless provocative acts and choose the path to cooperate with the international community including giving up its nuclear programme," Park Kwang On, a spokesman for Moon Jae In, said in a statement, referring to the North Korean leader.

"That is a way to save itself, not a way to self-destruct,"Park said.

North Korea test-fired a missile earlier on Saturday, which disintegrated after several minutes into the flight, US and South Korean officials said.

South Korea's presidential election is on May 9.