The South Korean military said today that North Korea apparently fired two ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast in the sixth round of missile tests this month, and the US State Department condemned Pyongyang's missile test, saying it violated several international resolutions.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch of what it assumed to be two ballistic missiles at about eight in the morning Thursday local time, near Hahong on North Korea's east coast, and Kyodo News Agency quoted Japan, quoting a Japanese government source, as saying that the two supposed missiles apparently landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

A US State Department spokesman condemned the new missile test, saying that it violates many UN Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to North Korea's neighbors and the international community. The spokesman added that Washington remains committed to the diplomatic approach, and calls on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue.

The last time North Korea conducted this number of weapons tests in one month was in 2019, after the collapse of the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former US President Donald Trump.

Strengthen defenses

North Korea said this month it would bolster its defenses against the United States and was considering resuming "all activities it had temporarily suspended", apparently in reference to a ban on testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles it had imposed on itself since 2017. Its missile tests as its sovereign right of self-defense, and said that US sanctions prove that it insists on following a "hostile" policy towards it.

On Tuesday, the South Korean military said North Korea had launched two cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast, and earlier this month Pyongyang tested tactical guided missiles, two hypersonic missiles capable of maneuvering after takeoff, and a rail-mounted missile system. .

The series of missile tests drew criticism from the governments of the United States and Japan, and led to meetings at the United Nations Security Council, which imposed sanctions on North Korea for violating resolutions banning ballistic missile testing.

The administration of US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on individuals and entities from North Korea and Russia this month, on accusations that they are aiding North Korea's weapons program, but China and Russia postponed a US attempt to get United Nations sanctions against five North Koreans.