South Korea's military says North Korea has fired at least one unidentified projectile from its western area. It's the second such launch in the last five days.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff had no other immediate details of the Thursday afternoon launch.

North Korea and the United States are currently deadlocked in diplomacy meant to rid the North of its nuclear arsenal.

The launch came hours after the North through its state media described its earlier firing of rocket artillery and an apparent short-range ballistic missile on Saturday as a regular and defensive military exercise and ridiculed South Korea for criticizing the launches. (AP)