Hours after issuing a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons against the United States and South Korea, North Korea reportedly launched over ten missiles from its eastern and western coasts, according to Seoul.

South Korea issued an air raid alert for an eastern island due to the escalation of animosity between the rivals. The country's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated in a statement that on Wednesday morning, North Korea launched missiles from its eastern coastal region of Wonsan.

One of the missiles landed in international waters 16 miles south of Korea's eastern sea border and 104 miles northwest of South Korea's Ulleung island, according to the statement.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that South Korea will not tolerate North Korean provocations and will sternly deal with them in close coordination with the United States. It was stated that South Korea has increased its surveillance of North Korea.

In recent months, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached an all-time high, with North Korea testing a series of nuclear-capable missiles and adopting a law authorizing the preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in a variety of scenarios. Some experts remain skeptical that North Korea could initiate the use of nuclear weapons against US and South Korean forces.

North Korea has argued that its recent weapons tests were meant as a warning to the United States and South Korea in response to their series of joint military drills, which it views as an invasion rehearsal, including this week's exercises involving approximately 240 warplanes.

Pak Jong Chon, a secretary of the ruling Workers' Party who is considered a close confidant of leader Kim Jong Un, referred to the so-called Vigilant Storm air force exercises as "aggressive and provocative" in a statement released early on Wednesday.

In an apparent reference to the Pentagon's recently released National Defense Strategy report, Mr. Pak also accused the Pentagon of making the collapse of the North Korean regime a major policy objective. According to the report, any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners "will end that regime."

He criticized South Korean military leaders for their "ridiculous" threats to destroy North Korea if it uses nuclear weapons.

The military of South Korea has warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would lead to "self-destruction."

"If the United States and South Korea attempt to use armed forces against (North Korea) without fear, the special means of (North Korea's) armed forces will carry out their strategic mission without delay," Mr. Pak said, ostensibly referring to his nation's nuclear weapons.

"The United States and South Korea will face the worst case in history and pay the worst price in history," he said.