South Korean Military: North Korea Fired 2 Ballistic Missiles Into Sea of Japan

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on Monday Tokyo's suggestion that North Korea test-fired two ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan.

Earlier, the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Pyongyang was thought to have fired a ballistic missile. Japanese media later reported, citing the country's Coast Guard, a North Korean projectile had fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

"Our military detected two ballistic missiles North Korea fired from areas near Pyongyang into the East Sea at 11:55 p.m. [14:55 GMT] on the 24th and at midnight of the 25th [15:00 GMT, July 24]," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff was quoted as saying by South Korean media.

Both missiles flew about 250 miles before falling into the sea, the military said.

The latest comes as the US Indo-Pacific Command on Monday detailed US officials were aware of North Korea’s recent missile launches, having assessed they do not pose an immediate threat.

“We are aware of the DPRK missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. While we have assessed that these events do not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons program,” the statement said.

Washington confirmed its ironclad commitment to the defense of its allies in the Republic of Korea and Japan, it added.

Last week, Pyongyang also fired two ballistic missiles, which fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone. On Saturday, North Korea reportedly launched several cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea.

North Korea's missile tests took place against the backdrop visits of US nuclear-powered submarines to South Korea’s ports as part of efforts aimed to reaffirm joint deterrence against Pyongyang.