TOKYO: North Korea fired what may be two ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast on Wednesday, Japanese and South Korean authorities said.

The objects did not enter Japanese territory, the Defence Ministry said.

The projectiles are believed to have landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, the coast guard said.

"North Korea's recent repeated launches of ballistic missiles and other projectiles are a serious problem for Japan and the international community as a whole," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

On Monday, North Korean state-run media said the country over the weekend tested a new long-range cruise missile capable of hitting almost anywhere in Japan.

North Korea last fired ballistic missiles on March 25 when it tested a new type of tactical guided projectile, the first such launch in a year and also the first since US President Joe Biden took office.

Under UN Security Council resolutions, North Korea is forbidden from testing ballistic missile and nuclear technologies.