Oct. 8 (UPI) -- North Korea on Sunday launched two more ballistic missiles as the United States conducted defense exercises with Japan and South Korea.
The launch of the missiles was first revealed by the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which issued an emergency alert.
"We are aware of the two ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the United States Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. "We assess this event does not pose a threat to the U.S. or to our allies."
North Korea's National Aviation Administration said in a news release provided by the country's Korean Central News Agency, one of the only websites in the country available in the West, on Saturday that the latest missile test launch "is a regular and planned self-defensive step."
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The NAA accused the United States of making "direct military threats that have lasted for more than half a century."
"The test launch was conducted with full consideration in advance into the safety of civil aircraft in international flights, so it didn't pose any threat and harm to the safety of not only civil aviation but also the neighboring countries and region," the statement reads.
In another statement, North Korea's Defense Ministry criticized the United States for conducting military drills with South Korea and Japan.
"At the moment, the U.S. nuclear-powered carrier Ronald Reagan task force is being involved in the naval joint mobile drill against the DPRK in the open sea close to the East Sea of Korea, together with the naval warships of the puppet forces of South Korea," the statement reads.
"The U.S. sent the nuclear-powered carrier task force to the waters off the Korean peninsula again in just a few days, an event of considerably huge negative splash to the regional situation."
North Korea said its armed forces "are seriously approaching the extremely worrisome development of the present situation."
The launch of the two missiles Sunday came as North Korea has repeatedly conducted weapons tests over the past two weeks, including early Thursday when it launched two ballistic missiles into waters between the peninsula and Japan.
Since the start of the year, North Korea has conducted more than 20 rounds of ballistic missile tests in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
