North Korea fired unidentified projectiles on Thursday, according to the South Korean military, less than a week after leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of multiple rockets and missiles. "We confirmed that North Korea fired two rounds of missiles towards (an) eastern direction from Northern Pyongan Province at 16:29 p.m. and 16:49 p.m. (local time). Estimated travel distances were 420 km, 270 km, respectively," a South Korean military official told NBC News. The Northern Pyongan Province is an area located to the west of the country. The South Korean and U.S. authorities are conducting analysis for more detailed information and NBC News also said that the chief national security advisor in South Korea is monitoring the situation. "(The) South Korea military has reinforced surveillance and vigilance for any more North Korean missile launches, and is maintaining fully preparedness by cooperating with the U.S.," the official added. The suspected short-range missiles appear to have been launched from a location near a missile base in Sino-Ri, according to the Dow Jones news agency. This is about 130 miles north of the demilitarized zone. The new launches come as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, travels to Seoul to meet with officials and discuss denuclearization efforts.<doc-sep>North Korea has fired a series of projectiles from an area known to be used by the military, South Korea's military have said. According to Yonhap, which quoted a South Korean military release, the projectiles were fired from Sino-ri, an area situated northwest of Pyongyang. A missile operating base is located in the Sino-ri area and houses medium-range Nodong missiles. The unidentified projectiles fired on Thursday travelled eastwards, but it is not clear where they eventually landed. It's the second time in a week that North Korea has apparently conducted a launch. The pointer on Google Maps below shows the location of the Sino-ri missile base. The latest reported escalation came just a day after the US Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, arrived in Seoul to meet with South Korea's Unification Minister ‎Cho Myung-gyun.<doc-sep>For the second time in less than a week, North Korea launched suspected short-range missiles, according to South Korea's military. The projectiles were fired Thursday from near a military base about 50 miles from North Korea's capital Pyongyang. There were few other details immediately available. State media in North Korea said that on Saturday the nation held a short-range ballistic missile test as part of a regularly scheduled defensive military exercise. It was the country's first such test in more than a year and came amid what appear to be stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. "We're looking at it very seriously now. Nobody's happy about it but we're taking a good look and we'll see," President Donald Trump said Thursday in response to North Korea's latest missile launch. "The relationship continues." 38 North, a website devoted to analysis of North Korea, said that Saturday's test provided "convincing evidence" that Pyongyang is continuing to seek greater military and strategic capabilities despite holding nuclear disarmament talks with Trump. "Pyongyang perceives itself to be under threat of aggression by the United States. (North Korea's leader) Kim Jong Un very likely has other strategic weapons projects underway, whether foreign procurement efforts or indigenous development programs," 38 North said in a post on its website. South Korean media noted that Thursday's launch coincided with a visit to the Korean Peninsula by the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea. Stephen Biegun arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with South Korea's leader about inter-Korean issues, including ways to move beyond an apparent Trump-Kim impasse after two summits failed to produce any tangible agreements on North Korea's denuclearization. Otto Warmbier's mother: North Korea is a 'cancer,' criticizes 'charade' diplomacy South Korea's military indicated the projectiles launched Thursday likely crash-landed in the East China Sea. Japan’s Kyodo News agency said there was no threat or impact on that nation's national security. There was also no threat to Guam or the Mariana Islands, U.S. territories located 2,100 miles southeast of the launch area, according to the offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense. South Korea’s military said the two suspected missiles flew about 260 miles and 167 miles, respectively. It said the base from where they were likely launched is also home to medium-range missiles that can fly up to 800 miles, enough to strike Japan. The second Trump-Kim summit took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February. It ended without agreement over what to do about North Korea's nuclear program after Trump refused to grant Pyongyang economic sanctions relief. "Sometimes you have to walk and this was one of those times," Trump said at the time. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that North Korea's weekend missile test would not trigger new sanctions or hinder any diplomatic process because the test did not involve long-range or intercontinental missiles, an apparent red line. Trump said Thursday that "North Korea has tremendous potential economically" and he didn't think Kim would want to jeopardize that. Separately Thursday, Justice Department officials announced that they seized a North Korean ship, "Wise Honest," that violated international sanctions by attempting to sell coal, which is on a United Nations Security Council export ban list for the country. "This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service," Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said in a statement. A complaint seeking the vessel's forfeiture was filed in federal District Court by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. North Korea:U.S. seizes cargo ship linked to sanctions violations by exporting coal Shea Cotton, an expert on North Korea at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, said that North Korea’s latest missile test could be aimed at extracting sanctions concessions from Trump. "By doing these smaller scale missile tests I think it’s in part done to send a signal that North Korea can go back to doing those missile tests whenever it wants and if Trump wants to stop that he needs to give North Korea something," he said. "There is certainly frustration on the North Korean side for lack of progress," said Jenny Town, a Stimson Center think tank fellow and managing editor of 38 North. "North Korea will continue to develop its defensive capabilities as long as its relationship with both Seoul and Washington remain fundamentally unchanged," she said.<doc-sep>
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles eastward from Koo Song, about 50 miles from Pyongyang, around 4:30 p.m. local time, South Korean officials said. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch on Thursday but had no additional details immediately available. The South's military is analyzing the short-range launch, North Korea's second in less than a week. "At the moment, our army has strengthened surveillance and is at alert together with the U.S.," Korean officials told ABC News. That act, a "barrage" of projectiles launched into the Sea of Japan, later was described as a regular, defensive military exercise. That happened on Saturday around 9 a.m. local time, after which White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, "We are aware of North Korea's actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary." South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement at the time that "our military is strengthening its surveillance and border in preparation for further launch of North Korea." "Korea and the United States are working closely together to maintain their ready preparedness," the statement continued. Former State Department official Stephen Ganyard, an ABC News contributor, said after Saturday's launch that long-range missiles remain a much larger threat. "I don't think we should get too excited about a short-range test unless someone can tell us that it was a long-range test that failed," Ganyard said. "A short range test is Kim demanding attention, not making a statement." That launch was the first for North Korea since Nov. 28, 2017, however, that was a long-range missile.