U.S. troop reduction in exercise not due to North Korea concerns: Mattis

North Korean state media said the country would consider restarting "suspended activities," amid preparations for a "long-term confrontation" with the United States.

Military experts in South Korea are analyzing exactly what type of missiles were launched, but said they appeared to be cruise missiles. Pyongyang has increased weapons testing in the past few weeks.

Japan's government also reported the launch and condemned the tests as a threat to the region's peace and security. Nobuo Kishi, the Japanese defence minister, said the missiles appeared to have landed in the ocean near North Korea's east coast.

Despite sanctions, North Korea has been steadily ramping up missile tests, firing a record number of weapons last month. North Korea fired a ballistic missile off its east coast on Sunday, South Korean and Japanese officials said.

North Korea has fired suspected artillery pieces into the sea, as it continued an unusually high pace of missile launches this year. It comes just days after a failed missile firing was carried out.

The measures come after North Korea said it had tested its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile yet. The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting over Pyongyang's launch later on Friday.

The United States has urged the UN Security Council to levy heavier sanctions against North Korea in light of its latest missile tests, but Russia and China have called for restraint.

South Korea's defense ministry has said that North Korea fired an existing intercontinental ballistic missile and not a new one in last week's test launch.

North Korea celebrated its founding leader Kim II Sung's 110th birthday with a parade and performances. This year, however, there was no military parade during the celebrations.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to speed up Pyongyang's nuclear development during a military parade to celebrate the founding of the country's armed forces.

North Korea launches long-range missile: DW's Frank Smith in Seoul

Some North Koreans are defying strict fashion and style regulations to fight conformity. But their expressions of individualism could cost them their freedom.