North Korea on Saturday fired several cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea, situated between China and the Korean peninsula, confirmed South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The fresh launches have come just three days after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, which have intensified already strained relations between the two Koreas. These latest missile tests are part of a series of provocative actions by Pyongyang after South Korea and the US reinforced their defence cooperation to counter the North's aggressive moves.

Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an escalation in weapons development, including the development of tactical nuclear weapons. In response, South Korea and the United States have conducted joint military exercises and deployed US strategic assets in the region.