North Korea has tested a third ballistic missile in two weeks, calling US sanctions a "threat" to integrity.
Pyongyang has already faced criticism from the United States over its earlier firing of ballistic missiles, and Washington has imposed new sanctions. Just hours after US criticism, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korea had fired two short-range ballistic missiles east of North Pyongyang province near the Chinese border on North Korea's west coast.
Japan's coast guard also reported that the North fired what could be a ballistic missile. North Korea has warned of dire consequences if the United States continues to impose sanctions.
The broadcaster NHK quoted an unnamed Japanese Defense Ministry official as saying that the missiles appeared to have fallen into the sea outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said North Korea's actions, including repeated ballistic missile tests, were a threat to the security of our nation and the region.
The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said the launch posed no immediate threat to the United States or its allies, highlighting the destabilizing effects of North Korea's illicit weapons program.
