North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles

North Korea launches a cruise missile on Feb. 23 in a photo released by its official Korean Central News Agency. [YONHAP]

North Korea launched multiple cruise missiles from Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province toward the East Sea on Wednesday, said the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The JCS said it detected the launch from North Korea's east coast at around 10:15 a.m. but did not immediately provide further details.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing missile data, including models and flight distances.

Seoul is leaving open the possibility that the missiles were an updated KN-27 long-range strategic cruise missiles described as North Korea's answer to the Tomahawk.

Cruise missiles are harder to detect than ballistic missiles as they fly at a lower altitude and can be controlled in-flight, meaning they can fly under missile defense radars.

North Korea most recently launched a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) Sunday.

Pyongyang claimed that it was simulating "nuclear counterattacks" against enemies.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed the missile, which flew about 800 kilometers, was equipped with a mock nuclear warhead and hit an unspecified "major enemy target" 800 meters above the water.

The launches come amid ongoing large-scale joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, often a period of escalated tensions with the North.

The Freedom Shield command post training, along with the large-scale field maneuver Warrior Shield, began on March 13 and is scheduled to run through Thursday.

Warrior Shield is the two allies' largest joint field exercise in five years.

"Under an unwavering combined defense posture, we will successfully wrap up the [Freedom Shield] combined exercises and carry out the ongoing Warrior Shield joint maneuvering exercises with high intensity," said the JCS in a statement.

Pyongyang previous claimed that it fired two "strategic" cruise missiles from a submarine in waters off the coast of Sinpo on March 12.

It also claimed to have launched four Hwasal-2 strategic cruise missiles from its northeastern city of Kim Chaek on Feb. 23.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]