North Korea fires cruise missiles off east coast, reports South Koreas

North Korea have reportedly fired multiple cruise missiles from an eastern military port, according to South Korea's joint chiefs of staff. They were launched at 11pm GMT on Saturday night, and were analysed by both South Korean and US intelligence authorities.

This is the third time this year that North Korea has demonstrated its weapons program amid reports of deepening tensions with the US, South Korea, and Japan. They previously fired cruise missiles on 24 January, and the country's first solid-fuel intermediate range ballistic missile on 14 January.

“While strengthening surveillance and vigilance, our military is cooperating closely with the United States and monitoring additional signs and activities from North Korea,” the joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

Officials in the US and South Korea still maintain that they have seen no signs that North Korea will take imminent military action against any of their enemies. However, they say that Kim Jong-un's government is likely to continue to provoke.

On Sunday, North Korea’s state media KCNA denounced a series of military drills conducted in recent weeks by US and South Korean troops, warning of “merciless” consequences.

“The reality that nuclear war exercises against our republic have been going on like crazy since the beginning of the New Year demands that we be fully prepared for a deadly war,” the dispatch said.