Seoul: The first apparent test of landing near South Korean waters took place on Wednesday when a North Korean ballistic missile landed less than 60 kilometers off the coast of South Korea, prompting an air strike warning, according to officials.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missile was one of three short-range ballistic missiles launched at sea from Wonsan, North Korea.

According to the JCS, at least one missile touched down on a disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea 26 kilometers south of the Northern Boundary Line (NLL).

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The missile landed 167 km from Uleung, where an airstrike warning was issued, and 57 km from the South Korean east coast city of Sekcho.

"We heard sirens at around 8:55 a.m. and we all went to the empty space in the basement in the building," an Ulluung County official told Reuters. We stayed there until we heard that the projectile had fallen into the sea, which was around 9:15.

A resident of the south of the island claimed they had not been given any warning. The launch came hours after Pyongyang called for an end to extensive military exercises between South Korea and the United States, claiming that "military rashness and provocation can no longer be tolerated."

According to a South Korean military spokesman, investigators are examining the launches to determine whether the missiles' flight path was as planned or if a path deviated.
According to the JCS, this was the first time a North Korean ballistic missile had come close to South Korean waters.

According to a JCS news release, "Our military will respond vigorously and resolutely under close South Korea-US cooperation. Our military can never tolerate such a provocative act by North Korea.

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Defense expert Joseph Dempsey of the International Institute for Strategic Studies wrote in an online post that it is highly unusual and particularly provocative for North Korea to test missiles in the East Sea and South Korean territory in the S or SE direction.

Vigilant Storm, one of the largest joint military air exercises, between the United States and South Korea began on Monday, with hundreds of warplanes from both sides simulating strikes round the clock.

This year, North Korea tested more missiles than ever before, and it has claimed the recent flurry of launches was in response to allied exercises.

According to Japan's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, at least two ballistic missiles, one to the east and the other to the southeast, were launched from North Korea.

In Tokyo on Wednesday morning, Hamada told reporters, "North Korea is repeatedly launching missiles at an unprecedented rate, in new ways that we haven't seen before.

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He continued, "These actions are completely unacceptable and pose a threat to the peace and stability of Japan, the region, as well as the larger international community."

According to him, Japan has complained and opposed the action through diplomatic channels in Beijing.