North Korea has announced the successful test of what state media are calling "cutting-edge, ultra-precision tactical guided missiles."
National leader Kim Jong-Un is said to have witnessed the launch, but no other details were released.
Analysts suggested the announcement by Pyongyang may have been referring to the communist state's launch of three projectiles into the Sea of Japan on Thursday - first reported by South Korea, which said the objects traveled just under 200 kilometers before falling into the sea.
Western observers say North Korea is not known to possess tactical guided missiles.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department criticzed North Korea's military activity. Spokeswoman Marie Harf said, "Technically, obviously, any launch of anything is problematic, is escalatory in nature, is threatening."
Both Koreas regularly carry out military drills near their disputed maritime border.
Earlier this year North Korea fired multiple rockets, including medium-range missiles, during a large-scale military exercise by American and South Korean troops.
