In a statement carried by the KCNA news agency, the North Korean Rocket Force stressed that the tests in the Yellow Sea were carried out to "rapidly develop technology in various aspects such as functions, performance and operation of new weapon systems" and were part of "normal activities".

The North's Rocket Department did not provide further details, such as how many missiles were launched or how far they flew.

The South Korean military said on February 2 that it detected the launch of several cruise missiles from North Korea's west coast at around 11 a.m. the same day. This is North Korea's fourth cruise missile launch this year, according to Yonhap.

Earlier, on January 24, North Korea test-fired for the first time a new strategic cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, called Pulhwasal-3-31. On January 28, Pyongyang launched a cruise missile from a submarine off its east coast, later saying it was also Pulhwasal-3-31.

The Pulhwasal-3-31 missile flies low and can be moved and controlled easily, making it harder to detect and intercept, according to Yonhap.

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on February 2 accused Pyongyang of "staging provocations" aimed at turning the Korean Peninsula into a region similar to the Middle East, where there is a constant risk of military conflict.

The Korea Times quoted this official as saying that North Korea's aim is to sow division in South Korea before the general election in April.