North Korea fires two missiles as tensions rise

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks while inspecting a newly built submarine to be deployed soon. Photo / AP

North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile early on Thursday from an area near Wonsan, on the nation's eastern coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says.

"Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said.

North Korea last fired a short-range missile on May 9, something that gave the country's leader Kim Jong Un "great satisfaction", according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The new test comes after months of frustration with the lack of progress in talks with the US.

The talks between the nation's two leaders were meant to move towards sanctions relief for North Korea in return for nuclear disarmament.

However, despite the show of goodwill between Mr Kim and US president Donald Trump during two summits, there has been little achieved and the talks have largely stalled.

North Korea's last major missile test was in November 2017.

The intercontinental ballistic missile was close to being able to reach deep into the US mainland.