North Korea confirmed on Thursday that it has tested missiles, calling them routine military drills aimed at strengthening the country's defense.

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement that the country would continue to launch missiles, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The statement said the missile launches were "successful" and had shown "strengthened self-defense force."

The missile launches have nothing to do with the six-party talks on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue, it said.

"The successful launch of missiles this time was part of our normal self-defense capabilities," said the statement, adding that North Korea would continue to conduct missile tests and exercises as part of stepping up its self-defense forces.

North Korea reportedly launched seven missiles on Wednesday morning.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2006)