N. Korea fires several cruise missiles into Yellow Sea: JCS

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced the North's launch took place at around 4 a.m. but did not elaborate further, pending an analysis.

«While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States,» the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.

South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise on Thursday. The North has denounced the drills as a rehearsal for invasion.

As part of the UFS, South Korea and the U.S. have staged combined air drills, involving at least one U.S. B-1B strategic bomber, above the Korean Peninsula.

In response, North Korea launched a military command post drill involving the scenario of occupying South Korean territory and fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its east coast earlier this week.

The North claimed the missile launch on Wednesday night was a tactical nuclear strike drill simulating «scorched-earth» strikes against major command centers and airfields in South Korea.

In March, North Korea said it launched strategic cruise missiles «tipped with a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead.»

At that time, the North's state media said two «Hwasal-1»-type strategic cruise missiles and two «Hwasal-2»-type strategic cruise missiles, launched in South Hamgyong Province, accurately hitting targets set in the East Sea.