North Korea launched two missiles, says Japan, South Korea amid Seoul's live-fire drills with Washington

South Korean military, on Thursday (June 15) said that North Korea had firedtwo short-range ballisticmissiles off its east coast, as per Reuters. This comes after North Korea condemned live fire drills South Korea is carrying out with the United States. Meanwhile, the Japanese defence ministry also confirmed the launchand said North Korea might have fired what could have been ballistic missiles.

North Korea fires another ballistic missile

Notably, since the beginning of this year, North Korea has fired a record number of missiles during weapons tests, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and last month attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staffreleased a statement that said it had detected the launch of "two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area into the East Sea," between 7:25 pmand 7:37 pm(local time), referring to the Sea of Japan.

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It added, "We have stepped up monitoring in case of further provocations and are maintaining readiness in close coordination with the United States."

In an earlier statement,the South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said "North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea."

Japan confirms launch

A Tokyo defence ministry official told reportersthat two missiles from North Korea fell insidethe country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)."Two ballistic missiles fell inside the EEZ," said the official from Tokyo, as per AFP.

According to Japanese officials, one of the missileslanded in the Sea of Japan about 110 kilometresnorthwest of Hegura island which is a part of theIshikawa prefecture while the other landed some 250 kilometres away.

The Japanese military had earlier said thatPyongyang had “launched a possible ballistic missile” and the country’s coastguard has since asked vessels to be vigilant in the Sea of Japan and not approach any fallen objects at sea.

South Korea, US live fire drills

Meanwhile, in South Korea, thousands of troops from both Seoul and Washington took part in what it described as the largest joint live-fire exercises with the US on Thursday amid a rise in tensions in the region and a show of power following threats from North Korea.

The live fire drills are also being overseen by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol which wouldmark the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the countries as well as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the South Korean military, said his office, in a statement.

Some 2,500 troops from both the US and South Korea have been said to be a part of the drills hosted in the northeast of Seoul with a range of weapons including South Korean F-35 fighters and K9 self-propelled howitzers and the US’ F-16 jets and Gray Eagle drones.

“The exercises were aimed at checking the ability to conduct combined and joint operations to realise 'peace through strength' through practical manoeuvring and live-fire training under the scenario of a North Korean provocation,” said Yoon’s office.

North Korea's warning about US-South Koreadrills

The reported ballistic missiles launched by Pyongyangcame hours after it condemned South Korea’s live-fire drills with the US, reported the state media KCNA, citing a spokesperson from North Korea’s Ministry of National Defence.

In a statement, the spokesperson said that North Korean forces will sternly respond to “any kind of protests or provocations by enemies,” as quoted by Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)

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