North Korea fires several cruise missiles towards Yellow Sea: Seoul military

North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, the latest in a series of tension-raising moves by the nuclear-armed state.

Pyongyang has accelerated weapons testing in the new year, including tests of what it called an "underwater nuclear weapon system" and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile.

"Our military detected several cruise missiles launched by North Korea towards the Yellow Sea at around 7:00 am today," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

"The detailed specifications are being closely analysed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities," it added.

Unlike their ballistic counterparts, the testing of cruise missiles is not banned under current U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang.

Cruise missiles tend to be jet-propelled and fly at a lower altitude than more sophisticated ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect and intercept.

The latest launch comes as South Korea is conducting a 10-day special forces infiltration drill off its east coast, "in light of serious security situations" with the North, that runs until Thursday, according to the South's navy.

"We will achieve our mission to infiltrate deep into the enemy's territory and neutralize them completely under any circumstances," the drill's commander said in a statement.

 'Principal enemy' 

Recent months have seen a sharp deterioration in ties between the two Koreas, with both sides jettisoning key tension-reducing agreements, ramping up frontier security, and conducting live-fire drills along the border.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the South his country's "principal enemy", jettisoned agencies dedicated to...