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

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 for Oct. 10-20 — an apparent indication it was planning missile tests.

Calls to the South Korean Defence 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 to 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.