North Korea fires two ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast

South Korea's military reported on Sunday that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

The first missile launched around 3:00pm local time and flew roughly 450 kilometres. A second missile was detected around 5:50pm and travelled more than 600 kilometres. South Korean and US authorities are conducting a detailed analysis to determine its exact specifications.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Seoul, Washington and Tokyo had been tracking the launches from the initial stage. Japan lodged a formal protest with North Korea, describing the launches as a threat to regional peace and security.

Following the first launch, South Korea's presidential National Security Office held an emergency meeting to assess the impact on national security. The South Korean government called on Pyongyang to immediately halt its ballistic missile activity, calling Sunday's launches a grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Context

Sunday's launches came eight days after North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles as part of a joint firepower drill involving long-range artillery and missiles, which state media said hit their targets with 100 percent accuracy.

During this week's International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference, North Korea accused "hostile forces" of trying to end its nuclear programme. A foreign ministry spokesperson said the IAEA's resolution has no bearing on the country's status as a nuclear weapons state.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, recently called the country's nuclear status "absolute" and dismissed those hoping for denuclearisation as "idiots." US President Donald Trump said in August that North Korea held 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, while South Korea estimates the figure at between 80 and 120.