South Korea's military detects missile launch by Pyongyang
North Korea has fired several cruise missiles for the second time in just a few days, according to the South Korean military.
The launch was recorded from the waters near Shinpo on the east coast, the General Staff in Seoul announced on Sunday.
It was initially unclear whether the cruise missiles were launched from a submarine, or how far they flew.
"While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military has been closely coordinating with the United States to monitor additional signs of North Korea's provocations," the joint chiefs of staff said in a text message sent to reporters at South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
The launch marks the North's second cruise missile launch this year after it test-fired strategic cruise missiles, named Pulhwasal-3-31, toward the Yellow Sea on Wednesday.
These flew westwards and fell into the sea between the Korean peninsula and China. A day later, North Korea said it had tested "a new type of strategic cruise missile," without providing any further explanation.
The designation as a strategic weapon suggests that North Korea may also have designed the cruise missile for the deployment of nuclear warheads. North Korea is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons and missile programme.
In contrast to ballistic missiles, however, tests of cruise missiles are not directly affected by the UN ban on the largely isolated country. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles have their own permanent propulsion system.
