Korean People's Army soldiers salute as they visit the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on Mansu Hill on the 74th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Thursday. Photo: AFP

North Korean state media published pictures on Tuesday of leader Kim Jong Un supervising what it called a "long-range artillery" drill, after Seoul said Pyongyang had launched two short-range ballistic missiles in its first weapons test in months.

The images in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper included pictures of multiple rocket launch systems, and several of high caliber rockets being fired from a launcher in a forest.

The exercise came as the North battles to prevent a coronavirus outbreak but Kim - wearing a black leather overcoat, gloves and cossack style Russian hat - did not don a facemask upon supervising the firing, although officers accompanying him wore black masks covering their faces.

Kim expressed "great satisfaction" with the results, telling troops to keep in mind that "the iron will and ardent patriotism to defend as strong as an iron wall the socialist homeland dearer than their own lives" the official KCNA news agency reported.

South Korea said that Monday's launch appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles.

The South Korean military said two devices were fired eastwards over the sea near Wonsan on the North's east coast and flew 240 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 35 kilometers.

The North also appeared to be contiuning a live firing exercise that began on Friday, KCNA added.

AFP