North Korea fires more short-range missiles into sea

North Korea on Monday fired four short-range rockets or missiles into the sea off its east coast, just days after test-firing two medium-range missiles in defiance of UN sanctions, South Korea's military said.

An official with the Joint Chiefs of Staff said they were launched from near the eastern city of Hamhung just before 3:20pm (0620 GMT) and landed in the East Sea (Sea of Japan).

He did not specify the missile type.

Military tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The UN Security Council responded earlier this month by imposing its toughest sanctions on North Korea to date.

In recent weeks, Pyongyang has maintained a daily barrage of nuclear strike threats against both Seoul and Washington, ostensibly over ongoing, large-scale South Korea-US military drills that the North sees as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Last Friday, the North test-fired two medium range missiles in line with an order from leader Kim Jong-Un to prepare a series of missile launches as well as a nuclear warhead explosion test.

The UN Security Council condemned the launches as "unacceptable" and a clear violation of existing UN resolutions.