North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Munchon area of ​​Kangwon Province into waters off the peninsula’s east coast, South Korea’s General Staff told reporters on Sunday.   

  The missiles were fired between 01:47 and 1:53 local time on Sunday, according to Japan’s Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino.   

  Both missiles fell outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, Ino added.   

  The first rocket was estimated to have flown about 350 kilometers, or 217 miles, to a maximum height of about 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, according to Ino.  The second traveled about the same distance.   

  Ino noted that there were no reports of damage to ships at sea, but the defense ministry is still analyzing the details and investigating what kind of missiles were fired, including the possibility that they were submarine-launched ballistic missiles.   

  South Korea’s military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance and is maintaining a posture of full readiness while working closely with the US, the country’s chief of general staff said.   

  This is the 25th missile launch this year, according to CNN’s count, which includes both ballistic and cruise missiles.  The latest launch came on Thursday, when North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, the latest in a series of launches over the past two weeks.   

  Japan’s coast guard has instructed vessels to heed the information and not approach objects that have fallen into the sea.  He also asked the boats to report any relevant information.   

  On Tuesday, North Korea launched another missile, without warning, that flew over and over Japan, prompting Japan to warn its citizens to evacuate.   

  The missile on Tuesday traveled over northern Japan early in the morning and is believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean.  The last time North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan was in 2017.   

  The US Indo-Pacific Command said on Saturday that the latest launches “do not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory or to our allies”.   

  “We are aware of the two ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” the administration said in a statement.  “The missile launch underscores the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s illicit WMD and ballistic missile programs.  US commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad.”   

  US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that if North Korea continues “on this path” of provocation after Tuesday’s ballistic missile launch, “it will increase condemnation, increase isolation and increase steps taken in response to her actions”.   

  The US imposed new sanctions on Friday after North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests, the US Treasury and State Departments announced.   

  North Korea routinely launches its missiles into waters off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, making Tuesday’s flight over Japan that much more challenging.   

  The aggressive acceleration in weapons testing has caused alarm in the region, with the US, South Korea and Japan responding with missile launches and joint military exercises.  The US has also redeployed an aircraft carrier to waters near the peninsula, a move South Korean authorities described as “highly unusual”.   

  Japan has issued a strong protest against North Korea through its embassy in Beijing, Ino said.   

  On Thursday, US, South Korean and Japanese warships conducted a missile defense exercise in the Sea of ​​Japan, the US-Indo Pacific Command said in a statement.