The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and China are to meet Friday for the first time since the U.N. Security Council slapped fresh sanctions on North Korea to punish the regime for its recent nuclear and missile tests.

Kim Hong-kyun, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, left for Beijing earlier in the day to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei.

The two sides plan to coordinate their response to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, focusing on ways to implement the new U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The planned meeting comes hours after North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea in the latest show of force against the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

"This morning, North Korea launched a ballistic missile in violation of Security Council resolutions," Kim told Yonhap News Agency by phone before boarding his plane. "I plan to share assessments of the threat of North Korea's provocations and focus on discussing overall ways to change the North's thinking and behavior through the faithful implementation of the Security Council resolution."

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea has threatened to carry out further nuclear tests and ballistic rocket launches in defiance of the sanctions over Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch last month.

China, the North's last major ally and economic benefactor, has vowed to strictly enforce the U.N. sanctions, though it has called for resuming dialogue with Pyongyang to fundamentally resolve the standoff over its nuclear program.

Beijing has also expressed strong opposition to the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in South Korea, viewing it as a threat to its own security interests.

The new U.N. sanctions were adopted earlier this month after close coordination between Washington and Beijing, two of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the council. They include the mandatory inspection of all cargo going into and out of the North and a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources, which serve as a key source of hard currency for the cash-strapped regime.

Last week, the South Korean envoy traveled to Washington for similar talks with his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, during which the two sides agreed to focus on putting strong pressure on the North to ultimately change its behavior. They also agreed to warn Pyongyang of a stronger response should it make additional provocations.

The ministry said it expects Friday's meeting to contribute to close coordination among South Korea, China and the U.S. over the North Korean nuclear issue.

"I plan to hold talks with the Chinese side on ways to diversify dialogue within the context of the six-party talks, including trilateral talks involving South Korea, the U.S. and China, and five-party talks," Kim said.

The six-party talks involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. and were aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear program before they were suspended in late 2008.

It will be Kim's first meeting with Wu since taking office last month. (Yonhap)