A senior U.S. official said on Thursday that the United States is aware of North Korea's latest projectile launches and is closely consulting with South Korea and Japan.

The official told Seoul-based Yonhap News that the U.S. is aware of public reports of "additional missile launches" from North Korea. 

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired unidentified short-range projectiles off its east coast early Friday Korea time, its third set of launches in just over a week.

North Korea fired what the JCS called two short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, as well as last Thursday.