North Korea fired two short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea in an apparent test launch Thursday.

A Defense Ministry official said that the North fired two missiles, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The official said that the missile launches are believed to be part of a routine drill, citing that the missiles fired Thursday were the same kind as the ones the North fired late last month into the East Sea.

An intelligence official said that apparently the North had originally planned to launch these missiles in May as well.

A day before the missile test-fires last month the North prohibited fishing vessels from entering certain parts of the East Sea and Yellow Sea where the missiles were anticipated to land.