'North Korea fires cruise missiles off east coast'
North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said.  The missiles were launched about 9am local time off the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. "While strengthening surveillance and vigilance, our military is cooperating closely with the United States and closely monitoring additional signs and activities from North Korea," the JCS said in a statement. This appears to be the latest in a string of weapons tests this year. The South Korean military didn’t immediately provide the exact numbers of missiles fired or how far they flew. So far this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea his country's "principal enemy", jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over "even 0.001 mm" of territorial infringement. Pyongyang has also ramped up weapons tests, including cruise missiles, an "underwater nuclear weapon system" and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile. Earlier this week, North Korea announced it had tested a new control system for a multiple rocket launcher it said would have an "increased" battlefield role. (Agencies)