South Korea announced that North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday on the eve of an upcoming visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris to Seoul, adding that it was preparing to conduct a nuclear test.
The Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the two missiles were launched shortly after 6:00 pm local time from the Sunan area of the capital, Pyongyang, adding that they flew at an altitude of 30 kilometers for a distance of 360 kilometers.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff considered that what it described as Pyongyang's provocations would enhance the deterrence and response force of the United States and exacerbate North Korea's isolation.
The agency had said that North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile last Sunday from the Taicheon area in North Pyongyang Province.
On Monday, South Korea began a four-day joint naval exercise with the United States.
For its part, Yonhap News Agency quoted South Korea's National Intelligence Service as saying that North Korea may conduct its first nuclear test since 2017, likely between October 16 and November 7.
North Korea has an arsenal of missiles, some of which are intercontinental, and asserts that it has nuclear weapons, and earlier this month it spoke of its "right" to direct what it described as pre-emptive nuclear strikes.