North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles off eastern coast

North Korea appeared to have fired an unidentified missile off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, South Korean and Japanese authorities say.

File: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a firepower strike drill ground of long-range artillery sub-units of the North Korean army. Source: AAP

North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile into the sea off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, Yonhap has reported citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Japan's coast guard on Saturday said North Korea appeared to have fired a missile, which landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone waters.

North Korea launched multiple projectiles into the sea earlier this month as part of firing drills, according to South Korea's military, drawing US and Chinese appeals for Pyongyang to return to talks on ending its nuclear and missile programmes.

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows a separate missile launch on March 10. Source: AAP

Earlier on Saturday, state media KCNA said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided an an artillery fire competition between combined units of the North Korean army on Friday.

North Korea also announced on Saturday it will hold a session of the Supreme People's Assembly, its legislature, which analysts had said would involve gathering almost 700 of the country's leaders in one spot as the coronavirus spreads worldwide.

"If it goes ahead, it would be the ultimate show of (North Korea's) confidence in managing the coronavirus situation," Rachel Minyoung Lee, of the North Korea monitoring website NK News, said on Twitter.