South Korea says North Korea fired 2 short-range ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan

North Korea has reportedly fired two short-range ballistic missiles from its north coast into the Sea of Japan, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said.

The official said that the missiles were launched from an area near Nampo City, located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Pyongyang, around 6:30 a.m. and 6:40 a.m. on Monday. The two projectiles are believed to have flown about 490 kilometers (304 miles) before falling into the sea, reported the CNN.

The South Korean Defense Ministry remarked that considering the speed, altitude and the distance covered by the missiles, they are believed to be Scud-Cs.

The projectiles were fired as South Korea and the United States started annual military drills, which they describe as "non-provocative training" that are an "an important component of readiness" for defending South Korea.

The U.S.-South Korea annual joint military exercises, called Foal Eagle and Key Reserve, have often sparked tension between the U.S., South Korea and North Korea.

North Korea's state-run KCNA condemned the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise by saying that the drills were nothing but "a smokescreen" to cover up their "surprise invasion" of the north. It warned that North Korea's military will "never remain a passive onlooker in this grave situation.