 said warnings had been broadcast and warning shots fired after a merchant vessel crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) at about 3:40am local time (6:40pm UK time). Kim Jong-un's North Korea, meanwhile, said via state media that it had fired 10 rocket artillery rounds after a South Korean navy ship had violated the NLL and fired warning shots "on the pretext of tracking down an unidentified ship". The official KCNA news agency reported a spokesperson for the General Staff of the North's Korean People's Army as saying: "We ordered initial countermeasures to strongly expel the enemy warship." But the South's JCS said it had conducted a "normal operation", describing the North's move as a violation of a bilateral military pact in 2018 which had banned "hostile acts" in the border areas. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE . Get email updates on the day's biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters . Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name. Follow The Mirror on Google News - CLICK HERE and click the star Follow The Mirror on Apple News - CLICK HERE available on Apple devices Follow The Mirro){kind=link}
We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
The missile was launched towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, early on Friday morning.
No other details were immediately available.
The latest launch comes only four days after North and South Korea exchanged warning shots off the west coast amid heightened tensions in the region.