North Korea Fires Three More Missiles

North Korea has fired three short-range missiles from its east coast, according to the South's defence ministry.

The missiles fell into the North's eastern waters but the ministry would not speculate whether they were part of a test or training exercise.

Launches by Pyongyang of such missiles are not uncommon but the latest have during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.

"North Korea fired short-range guided missiles twice in the morning and once in the afternoon off its east coast," an official at the ministry in Seoul said.

"In case of any provocation, the ministry will keep monitoring the situation and remain on alert," he said.

A Japanese government source, quoted by the Kyodo news agency, noted the three launches, but said none of the missiles landed in Japan's territorial waters.

Tensions in the Korean peninsula have subsided in the past month.

They had been high for several weeks following tougher UN sanctions against Pyongyang after its third nuclear test in February.

The North had threatened nuclear strikes on Seoul and Washington because of annual US-South Korean military drills and the UN sanctions. The drills ended late last month.

Pyongyang conducts regular launches of its Scud short-range missiles, which can hit targets in South Korea.

It carried out a successful launch of a long-range missile last December, saying it put a weather satellite into orbit.

The US and its allies denounced the launch as a test of technology that could one day deliver a nuclear warhead.

During weeks of tensions, South Korea reported the North had moved missile launchers into place on its east coast for a possible launch of medium-range Musudan missiles.

The Musudan has a range of 2,200 miles, putting Japan in range and possibly the US South Pacific island of Guam.

Earlier this month, the two missiles were withdrawn, with a US defence official saying the Musudans were no longer considered an imminent threat.

In the past week, Glyn Davies, the top US envoy on North Korea, ended trips to South Korea, China and Japan.

On Friday, an adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned from North Korea but did not immediately give details of his talks with leaders there.