North Korea fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump announced plans to meet leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
South Korea said the missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area and travelled about 300 kilometres. The launches came during US-South Korea military exercises, which North Korea has long criticised.
Trump said he wants to improve relations with Pyongyang and claimed North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons. South Korean estimates put the number between 80 and 120.
Following the launches, South Korea held an emergency security meeting and increased military readiness. Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Seoul would not recognise North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state and remained committed to denuclearisation.
The missile tests highlight the challenges facing any renewed diplomatic engagement between Trump and Kim.
