The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) says North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Tuesday.

The JCS said on Tuesday that it detected the launch from the Jangyon area in South Hwanghae Province between 7:41 a.m. and 7:51 a.m. It is believed that the regime has never before fired a ballistic missile from Jangyon.

The missiles flew about 620 kilometers, putting the entire Korean Peninsula in range, as well as Jeju Island in the south and the Dokdo islets to the east. 

The JCS said that the military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the U.S.

It also condemned the launches as a significant provocation that harms peace and stability on the peninsula as well as in the international community, urging the North to stop.

The latest ballistic missile firing comes five days after the regime fired six close-range ballistic missiles from Nampo toward the Yellow Sea.

North Korea also test-fired what it claimed were two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine on Sunday, ahead of Seoul and Washington's Freedom Shield joint military exercises that kicked off on Monday for an eleven-day run.

The regime adopted a "more effective, powerful and offensive" use of its "war deterrent" measures in a party meeting presided over by Kim Jong-un on Saturday.