North Korea fired five short-range missiles into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Sunday, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The projectiles were "presumed to be fired from its eastern border town of Wonsan in a northeastern direction for about 50 minutes from 4:20 p.m. (0720 GMT) in succession," JCS spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu said, adding that they flew some 200 kilometers before landing in the sea.
Sunday's firing is the North's second missile launch this year, after Friday's launch of anti-ship missiles under the guidance of its leader, Kim Jong-un, according to the report.
"North Korea kicked off drills of the same kind two weeks earlier than last year," Jeon was quoted as saying. "(The South Korean military) will remain vigilant against additional launches while strengthening its joint surveillance posture with the US." The latest launch came ahead of the planned Seoul-Washington military drill scheduled in March, which Pyongyang claims is a "dress rehearsal for a northward invasion."