North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said, in a launch that came amid heightened tensions over weapons tests by Pyongyang and Seoul.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said one of the missiles travelled more than 900 kilometres (559 miles) after being launched from the Pyongyang area. The military did not specify the total number of missiles detected.

Japan’s coast guard separately reported that North Korea had fired two unidentified projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles, adding that they had already fallen.

South Korea’s presidential office condemned the launches, saying North Korea’s repeated missile tests violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and calling on Pyongyang to stop them immediately.

The latest launch adds to tensions on the Korean Peninsula, where both sides have stepped up weapons testing and military demonstrations.

JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young said the North Korean launch appeared to be a show of force in response to South Korea’s recent hypersonic missile test.

On Thursday, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung oversaw the country’s first test-firing of a hypersonic missile, in a rare public display of Seoul’s military capabilities.

Lee’s office said the weapon, once fully developed, would improve South Korea’s ability to strike key targets by surprise in the Korean Peninsula theatre of operations.

North Korea also tested a hypersonic intermediate-range missile on October 3, according to the report. The weapon was designed to evade missile defence systems in South Korea and Japan.

The latest exchanges underscore the continuing military rivalry between the two Koreas, as both countries seek to strengthen their strike capabilities amid persistent security concerns in the region. (ILKHA)