SEOUL: North Korea fired two projectiles that appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from its northwestern region Saturday morning, the South Korean military said.

North Korea carried out any projectile launch for the first time since March 9 and the third this year. It appears that neither missile reached Japan's exclusive economic zone.

North Korea fired the first projectile around 6:45 a.m. (9:45 p.m. Friday GMT) and the second around 6:50 a.m. from Sonchon, North Phyongan Province, the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. They traveled 410 kilometers, flying as high as 50 kilometers.

It is extremely inappropriate to take military action when the entire world is struggling with the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Joint Chiefs of Staff added.

The United States is closely watching the situation and holding talks with its allies in the region, Japan and South Korea, a senior U.S. official said.

Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said the launch "clearly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and poses a clear threat and challenge to the international community."

According to a report by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, Pyongyang carried out an artillery fire contest of its army's western-front units Friday under the watch of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim was satisfied with the contest, whose purpose is to convert normal-time exercises into practical drills, according to the KCNA.

Saturday's firing is believed to be part of such drills.

North Korea fired missiles on March 2 and 9. Around then, North Korean media organizations also reported about artillery strike drills led by Kim.

JIJI Press