(VOVworld) – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea fired two short range missiles toward waters east of the Korean peninsula. Yonhap news agency quoted an official of the Republic of Korean’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying that the missiles were launched early Sunday morning from Keasong area and flew approximately 500 km before falling into the Sea of Japan.

An unidentified North Korean missile is displayed during a military parade in Pyongyang in 2013. Photo: internet

Japan immediately lodged a protest with North Korea via the Japanese Embassy in Beijing after the launch of the missiles. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the launch "completely infringes on UN Security Council resolutions" that ban North Korea from any launch using ballistic missile technology.  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed the government to gather information and ensure the safety of ships and planes in cooperation with the United States, South Korea and other countries concerned. Seoul’s army is in full swing in case of further missile launches carried out by Pyongyang.