SEOUL, March 26, 1:40 /ITAR-TASS/. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday test-fired two ballistic missiles to the area of the Sea of Japan (East Sea), an official at the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea (ROK) reported.

According to the South Korean miliatary, those were medium-range missiles of Rodong type, which flew for about 650 km. The missiles were fired at an interval of ten minutes from Sukchon area north of Pyongyang, a source at the CSC said.

Those were the first test-firings of Rodong missiles in the North in the past five years. According to a UN Security Council resolution, the DPRK is banned from launching ballistic missiles.

The Yonhap news agency reported that the US Defense Department confirmed the availability of information on Wednesday's tests. In this connection, a Pentagon official stated that the DPRK is under obligation to refrain from provocations.