North Korea fires two cruise missiles from west coast town of Onchon

North Korea fired two cruise missiles from the west coast town of Onchon early on Wednesday, a South Korean military source said, without giving details such as the missiles' range or altitude.

The launches come as South Korea and the United States kicked off their four-day preliminary joint drill on Tuesday in preparation for the long-suspended live field training Ulchi Freedom Shield, which takes place from Aug. 22 to Sept. 1.

Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday said he is willing to provide phased economic aid to North Korea if it ended nuclear weapons development and began denuclearisation, as he took questions during a news conference to mark his first 100 days in office.