North Korea fires two missiles off east coast as South Korea wraps up drills

Launch was the latest in a record year of tests of short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles and others

People watch a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on October 28, 2022. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, according to South Korea's military. AFP

Visitors at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, on Friday. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Friday, its first ballistic weapons launches in two weeks. The US military warned the North that the use of nuclear weapons "will result in the end of that regime". AP Photo

A wire fence decorated with ribbons with messages wishing for the reunification of the two Koreas at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea. October 28, 2022. AP Photo

A North Korean flag near the border villages of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea. October 4, 2022. AP Photo

FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects military exercises at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Oct. 8, 2022. South Korea says Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service via AP)

South Korean soldiers during an anti-terrorism and anti-chemical terrorism exercise at Kintex on October 27, 2022 in Goyang, South Korea. Getty Images

South Korean emergency services personnel during anti-terrorism exercises at Kintex in Goyang, South Korea. Getty Images

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Friday, South Korea's military said, while itself wrapping up almost two weeks of major drills aimed at deterring its neighbour.

The SRBMs were fired from the Tongcheon area of the North's Gangwon province, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, Reuters reported. The launch came four days after the neighbours exchanged warning shots off the west coast.

The launch was the latest in a record year of tests of short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and others and stoked concern that North Korea is preparing for its first nuclear test since 2017.

"Our military is maintaining full readiness posture," the JCS said in a statement in which it declared that it had stepped up monitoring and security while co-ordinating closely with the US.

The launches did not pose an immediate threat to the US or its allies, according to a statement from the US military's Indo-Pacific Command.

The North’s first ballistic missile tests since October 14 came on the final day of South Korea’s annual 12-day Hoguk field exercises, which this year involved an unspecified number of US troops, AP reported.

Next week, South Korean and US air forces plan to conduct a large-scale training exercise.

North Korea sees such regular drills by Seoul and Washington as practice for launching an attack on the North, although the allies say their exercises are defensive in nature.

Next week’s Vigilant Storm aerial drills are scheduled to run from Monday to Friday and involve about 140 South Korean warplanes and about 100 US aircraft.

The planes include sophisticated fighter jets, such as the F-35, from both nations, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said.

Since late September, North Korea has launched a barrage of missiles towards the sea in what it called simulated tests of tactical nuclear weapons systems designed to attack South Korean and US targets.

While North Korea says its testing activities were meant to issue a warning amid a series of South Korea-US military drills, experts say Pyongyang has also used its rivals’ drills as a chance to test new weapons systems, boost its nuclear capability and increase its leverage in future dealings with Washington and Seoul.

Tongchon, the site for the North’s launches on Friday, is about 60 kilometers from the inter-Korean border.

The area is apparently closer to South Korea than any other missile launch site North Korea has used this year.

South Korea and the US have strongly warned North Korea against using its nuclear weapons pre-emptively.