Seoul (AFP) – North Korea fired "around a dozen" short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Thursday, Seoul's defence ministry said, less than a week after South Korea proposed talks over a growing border row.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said its military detected "around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Wonsan area of North Korea towards the East Sea", the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

"Our military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches," it added in its statement.

The Japan Coast Guard separately said that "an object that appears to be a ballistic missile launched from North Korea seems to have already fallen", urging ships to be vigilant.

North Korea has tested a slew of weapons recently, including a new precision-guided torpedo system and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, both of which were said to employ AI technology.

Thursday's flurry of missiles comes against the backdrop of growing tensions over a landmine explosion along the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas that saw three South Korean soldiers wounded.

A joint Seoul-UN investigation earlier this month concluded that North Korea planted the landmines over a year ago.

Seoul accused Pyongyang of "a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement" and called for the North to return to dialogue.

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