The Defense Ministry said that North Korea fired two ballistic missiles northeast of its west coast early Monday morning.
The missiles, which were fired around 7: 47 a.m. and 7: 57 a.m., came down in the Sea of Japan near the east coast of the Korean Peninsula in an area thought to be outside Japan's exclusive economic zone EEZ. No damage to aircraft or shipping has been reported.
The missiles had a likely maximum altitude of about 50 kilometers and flew about 350 kilometers. It is possible that the missiles were launched with an irregular trajectory, which would make them potentially difficult to intercept.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said the missiles were short-range ballistic missiles launch from the vicinity of Junghwa, North Hwanghae Province, in North Korea southwestern region.
According to a press conference on Monday morning, Japan s chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said: "The launches threaten the peace and safety of the international community, violate relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and are totally unacceptable." There is the possibility that North Korea will engage in more provocative acts in the future, including missile launches and nuclear tests. Pyongyang has launched military drills by U.S. and South Korean forces in anticipation of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula, and is seen as a response to a series of military drills by the U.S. and South Korean forces. The Twin Dragons exercise — the first large-scale landing drill to be held in about five years — started on March 20 and is scheduled to run until April 3. North Korea opposes the drills, which involve the mobilization of assault ships and other vessels.
In addition to that, the U.S. military-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was scheduled to dock at Busan in southeast South Korea on Tuesday. It would be the first time that a U.S. aircraft carrier would port in Busan since the USS Ronald Reagan was in September.
Previously, North Korea launched a series of ballistic and cruise missiles during the Freedom Shield military exercise conducted by Washington and Seoul from March 13 -- 23, which centered on computer simulation drills. Observers say it is highly likely that Pyongyang will continue its military provocations, putting Japan, the United States and South Korea on increased alert.