The back-to-back launches were the latest in a series of weapons tests that North Korea has conducted in recent weeks amid stalled nuclear talks and outside worries about a possible coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, is set to arrive on Wednesday for a two-day stay, during which he will meet his counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, and President Moon Jae-in, Seoul officials said.

The U.S. Army chief of staff told Chinese officials China should not feel threatened by American ally South Korea's decision to deploy a powerful U.S. missile defence system.