North Korea fires ballistic missiles into sea off eastern coast

North Korea has fired several ballistic missiles into waters off its eastern coast, prompting an emergency security meeting in South Korea and renewed attention to military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the coastal area around Wonsan at about 5:20am local time on Saturday. The projectiles travelled approximately 250 kilometres before landing in the sea.

South Korean authorities said they were closely coordinating with the United States and Japan to assess the launches and determine further details.

The country's presidential National Security Office convened an emergency meeting involving the Defence Ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other government agencies following the incident.

The US Pacific Command said the launches did not present an immediate threat to US territory or American allies in the region. Washington also reaffirmed its commitment to defending South Korea and its other regional partners.

The missile launches came just one day after South Korea completed five days of joint maritime military exercises with the United States and Japan.

The drills had focused on maintaining readiness in response to potential threats from North Korea. Pyongyang had strongly criticised the exercises, with its defence minister warning earlier in the week that North Korea could respond with what it described as strong countermeasures.

North Korea has repeatedly objected to joint military exercises involving South Korea and the United States, describing them as preparations for a possible invasion.

Pyongyang also criticised plans for the latest Freedom Edge exercises, which were conducted in international waters near South Korea, calling the drills a threat to North Korea and other countries in the region.

The latest missile launch follows a similar incident on August 20, when North Korea fired a barrage of missiles into the sea.

That launch occurred while efforts were being discussed to improve relations between Washington and Pyongyang. US President Donald Trump has previously indicated that he hoped to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the year.

The United States and South Korea also recently conducted a scaled-back version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises after Trump called for a reduction in the scale of the drills.

Trump had described the exercises as inappropriate and hostile towards North Korea, a position that raised concerns among some US allies in the region.

Despite those efforts, North Korea has continued to conduct missile tests, particularly around the time of major military exercises involving South Korea, the United States and Japan.

The latest launch is expected to be closely monitored by regional governments as officials assess North Korea's military intentions and the potential impact on security across East Asia.