(Recast) 2nd LD Writethru: DPRK fires two short-range missiles into East Sea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the South Korean military said Thursday.

Yonhap news agency quoted the military as reporting that the DPRK fired the two missiles at around 5:20 a.m. local time from its North Hwanghae Province and the missiles hit the waters northeast of the port city of Wonsan off the country' east coast.

The South Korea was following the situation closely and prepared to deal with any DPRK provocations, the military said.

The latest missile launch by DPRK came days after the South Korea and the United States started their largest ever military exercises.

The DPRK launched a rocket on Feb. 7 which outsiders saw as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology.

The DPRK started off a new year with the test of what it claimed was its first hydrogen bomb test on Jan. 6, the fourth of its nuclear detonations.

In response, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted an unprecedentedly strong and comprehensive resolution on the DPRK on March 2 that imposed a raft of sanctions on the country to curb its nuclear and missile programs.

The UN Security Council reiterated its demands that the DPRK abandons all its nuclear weapons and other nuclear programs as well as weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. Endit