North Korea has test-fired two more missiles following similar launches earlier this week, according to the defence ministry.

"North Korea test-fired two missiles this morning," a spokesman for the defence ministry told AFP.

He said the missiles were launched from a base near the eastern port of Wonsan into the East Sea (Sea of Japan).

According to Yonhap news agency, one of the missiles was a SCUD with a range of 500 kilometres (312 miles).