North Korea fires 5 short-range missiles

North Korea fired five short-range missiles off its east coast today, a news report said, even as South Korea proposed working-level talks with its communist neighbor.

Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified South Korean government official, said the North test-fired the missiles on Monday afternoon from its eastern coastal launch pad.

Yonhap said the North has issued a no-sail zone in an area off the east coast Oct. 10-20 — an apparent indication it was planning missile tests.

Calls to the South Korean Defense Ministry seeking comment on the report were not immediately answered Monday.

Earlier Monday, South Korea proposed working-level officials of the two sides meet Wednesday discuss how to prevent floods in the Imjin River running through their heavily armed border. The South also proposed a separate meeting of Red Cross officials on Friday to discuss reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

However, Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said that Seoul had no plan to resume high-level dialogue with the North.

Pyonyang has recently reached out to Seoul, easing months of tension over the North's nuclear and missile programs.