North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday, South Korea’s military said, with the second flying more than 600 kilometers (370 miles). The launches came days after Pyongyang reaffirmed its status as a nuclear-armed state and rejected a United Nations resolution requiring it to halt its nuclear activities. Read moreNorth Korea launches second set of short-range ballistic missiles in a week The South Korean military said the first missile was launched around 3:00 p.m. (06:00 GMT) from the Wonsan area and flew about 450 kilometers toward the East Sea, a body of water also called the Sea of Japan. “Our military detected an additional short-range ballistic missile launched from North Korea’s Wonsan area toward the East Sea at around 5:50 p.m.,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The second missile “flew more than 600 kilometers and South Korean and US authorities are conducting a detailed analysis to determine its exact specifications,” he said. The JCS said South Korea, the United States and Japan had been “monitoring and sharing relevant developments since the initial stage of the launch.” Japan lodged a “severe protest” with North Korea over the launches, condemning them as a threat to regional peace and security, Kyodo news agency quoted the government as saying. To display this YouTube content, you must enable ad tracking and audience measurement. OK Manage my options One of your browser extensions appears to be blocking the video player from loading. To view this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again Cover image: Photo composite featuring Kim Jong-un. © France 24 South Korea’s presidential National Security Office convened an emergency security meeting after the first launch and assessed its impact on national security, the presidential office said. The government called on Pyongyang to “immediately cease” its ballistic missile launches, describing Sunday’s firing as a “serious act” that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions. ‘Absolute’ status The launches came eight days after North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea as part of what it later described as a joint firepower exercise. That exercise involved artillery and long-range missiles, and the weapons “hit the targets with 100 percent accuracy,” state media reported. North Korea accused “hostile forces” of trying to end the country’s nuclear program during this week’s General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the IAEA resolution “has no effect on the DPRK’s position as a nuclear weapons state,” using the acronym for North Korea’s official name. Trump says he will meet with North Korea’s Kim later this year. To display this YouTube content, you must enable ad tracking and audience measurement. OK Manage my options One of your browser extensions appears to be blocking the video player from loading. To view this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again Cover image: © France 24 The North’s nuclear power status is “guaranteed by the current nuclear deterrent and irreversibly and permanently fixed by the supreme law of the State,” the spokesperson said. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, recently said the country’s nuclear weapons status was “absolute” and called those who hoped for its denuclearization “idiots.” US President Donald Trump stated in August that North Korea possessed 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, while South Korea put the figure between 80 and 120. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)