North Korea launches double ballistic missiles into the sea as Pyongyang escalates weapons testing

North Korea launches double ballistic missiles into the sea as Pyongyang escalates weapons testing North Korea has launched two ballistic missiles into the sea off the east coast of the peninsula, South Korea's military said, amid an escalation in weapons testing North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea just days after Pyongyang threatened to strengthen its nuclear programme and respond to what it called US hostility. The missiles were launched about three hours apart from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan on Sunday, South Korea's military said. The first travelled around 450 kilometres (280 miles), while the second flew more than 600 kilometres (370 miles) before both landed in the sea. The launches are the latest in a series of weapons tests by North Korea, despite US president Donald Trump scaling back a joint military exercise with South Korea last month in an apparent bid to restart talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. South Korea's presidential office urged North Korea to immediately stop launching ballistic missiles, which are banned by UN Security Council resolutions. Its military said it stands ready to respond to any threats under its alliance with the US. Japan's Defense Ministry also detected a suspected North Korean missile on Sunday, but said it did not land in Japanese territorial waters. The latest launches follow a warning from Kim Jong Un's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, who dismissed the US decision to shorten the military exercise with South Korea. She said the move would not change its "provocative, aggressive nature." North Korea's military later launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea, apparently following through on a threat to respond to the US-South Korean drill. On Friday, Kim Yo Jong also condemned another US-led military exercise involving six countries, calling it a "frantic military move" aimed at prolonging American hegemony in the Asia-Pacific. The "Pacific Vanguard" exercise involved the US, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. She claimed that "regular U.S.-led war rehearsals" are the main source of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and across the region. "Our will to defend our sovereignty will be expressed in clearer action and there will be never ever change in the course of intensifying the nuclear war deterrence," she said. Earlier this month, North Korea also held a large live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones. The exercise came a day after the US, South Korea and Japan completed a five-day military drill, which North Korea described as a provocation. Pyongyang said it fired different types of weapons at the same time, in a likely attempt to practice overwhelming the air defences of South Korean and the US. Kim Jong Un has focused on expanding North Korea's nuclear arsenal since high-stakes talks with Trump broke down in 2019. Trump later ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" its Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with South Korea, pointing to what he called a good relationship with Kim. Kim has repeatedly called the exercises rehearsals for an invasion of North Korea. Experts say Kim may now feel he has more leverage if talks with Trump resume, thanks to North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal and closer ties with Russia and China. Earlier this year, Kim said he would be willing to return to talks if the US drops what he calls its "hostile policy" towards North Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a liberal who advocates improved ties with the North, said on Friday that a resumption of US-North Korea talks would be "an important starting point" toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. "What is clear is that President Trump wants dialogue and I've also been encouraging President Trump to seek dialogue" with Kim, Lee told reporters.