North Korea fires cruise missiles off east coast, Seoul reports

 North Korea has fired several cruise missiles in waters off its east coast, South Korea's military says.

In recent months the nuclear-armed communist state has tested missiles repeatedly, raising regional tension.

Sunday's launch took place near the port of Sinpo. Neither the number nor type of missiles is clear yet.

They follow on from two years of near-monthly missile launches and weapons development in blatant contravention of UN sanctions.

Earlier this month, Kim Jong Un declared the former bedrock goal of re-unification with South Korea was over, designating the South as the "principal enemy"

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol told his cabinet this month that if the North carried out a provocation, the South "will retaliate multiple times stronger", pointing to the South Korean military's "overwhelming response capabilities".