WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (Yonhap) -- The United States is aware of reports of North Korea's latest missile launch and is closely monitoring the situation with its allies, South Korea and Japan, a senior U.S. government official said Thursday.

 Hours earlier, North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles off its east coast, according to the South Korean military, its sixth such launch since July 25.

 "We are aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea, and we continue to monitor the situation," the official told Yonhap News Agency. "We are consulting closely with our Japanese and South Korean allies."

 Details of the type of the projectiles were not immediately known.

 North Korea has fired a series of short-range ballistic missiles in recent weeks in apparent protest of South Korea-U.S. military exercises.

 U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he had received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in which Kim explained the reason for the launches and expressed his willingness to resume talks with the U.S. once the drills were over.