SEOUL, June 15. /TASS/. North Korea on Thursday launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan District near Pyongyang, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Two short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea from the Sunan District toward the Sea of Japan were detected between 7:25 p.m. and 7:37 p.m. local time (1:25 p.m. and 1:37 p.m. Moscow time - TASS)," the statement said. Earlier, the South Korean military reported the launch of a ballistic missile.

Seoul added that the South Korean armed forces remain prepared for the possibility of further launches and are working with their US counterparts.

On Thursday, a North Korean top brass "sternly warned" the US and South Korea that the country’s armed forces would respond to "any hostile demonstrations and provocations." Earlier in the day, South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol observed the latest round of the largest-ever joint live-fire drills with the US. More than 2,500 people and more than 610 vehicles, including aircraft, were involved in the drills.

A North Korean official then said that the drills were directed against the country and slammed the actions of the South Korean military "provocative and irresponsible" because they contribute to the escalation of tensions. "Our response is inevitable," the defense official said in a statement released shortly before the missile launch.