Seoul, Sept. 20 (SANA)North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Sunday, about three hours apart, South Korea’s military said, in Pyongyang’s second round of missile launches in just over a week.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first missile was launched from the Wonsan area at around 3 p.m. local time and flew about 450 kilometers.

A second short-range ballistic missile was fired from the same area at around 5:50 p.m. and travelled more than 600 kilometers, according to the military. Both were believed to be from North Korea’s Hwasong-11 series, while South Korean and US authorities continued to analyze their specifications.

South Korea said its intelligence authorities had tracked the launches from their initial stages and shared information with the United States and Japan.

The South Korean National Security Council condemned the launches and urged Pyongyang to halt ballistic missile activity, saying it violated UN Security Council resolutions.

The tests came eight days after North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on Sept. 12. Pyongyang later said that launch was part of a combined strike drill involving ballistic and cruise missiles, large-caliber multiple rocket launchers and attack drones.

North Korea has also criticized recent US-led military exercises involving South Korea and Japan. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said on Sept. 18 that such exercises were worsening tensions and warned that Pyongyang would take responsive action.