North Korea fired five short-range missiles off its east coast Oct. 12, news reports said, even as South Korea proposed working-level talks with its neighbor.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified South Korean government official, said the North test-fired two short-range missiles in the morning and three others in the afternoon from mobile launch pads.

Yonhap said the missiles were surface-to-surface KN-02 rockets with a range of up to 120 km.

The reported launches were the first since the regime conducted a barrage of seven ballistic missile tests in early July, and come despite signs North Korea is reaching out to rival South Korea and the United States after months of heightened tensions over its missile and nuclear programs.