SEOUL, 26 January 2022, (TON): North Korea fired two cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast, South Korea's military said, amid rising tension over a recent series of weapons tests.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff did not specify the missiles' range or trajectory, but said “it was conducting an analysis together with US authorities.”

The launch was North Korea's fifth of the year, following tests of a tactical guided missile, two hypersonic missiles capable of high speed and manoeuvring after lift-off, and a railway-borne missile system.

Tension has been growing, with leader Kim Jong Un vowing last week to bolster the military and warning he could lift a self-imposed moratorium on testing atomic bombs and long-range missiles.

A spokesperson the US State Department said the United States was aware of the latest launch reports and was assessing them with South Korea and Japan. The official offered no details but reiterated that Washington remained open to dialogue with Pyongyang.

Broadly speaking, as we have said “our goal remains the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. We remain prepared to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy without preconditions to make tangible progress."