North Korea test-fired two No-Dong 1 ballistic missiles from its east coast 2603141.

Defence & Security News - North Korea

The trajectory indicated that the missiles were of the Rodong class, as they flew over at altitudes of more than 160 km and with a top speed of over Mach 7.0., the spokesman noted.

The foreign ministry said the South Korean "government will begin to take countermeasures against the North's latest provocations through close collaboration with allies and the United Nations Security Council."

The foreign ministry also denounced the ballistic missile launches as grave threats to international navigation activities and civilian safety, warning the North against further provocative actions.

Compared with short-range Scud missiles the North fired earlier this month, No-Dong missiles, which have an estimated range 1,000 km to 1,500 km, are considered to be more destructive as they can carry a nuclear warhead, only if Pyongyang is capable of developing a small enough warhead to fit on them.

The No-Dong-A (also named No-Dong 1 or Rodong 1) is a medium range ballistic missile based on the technology of the Russian-made ballistic missile Scud-D. This system was developed by the North Korean defence industry.

The No-Dong-A missile has a range of approximately 1,000 - 1,300 km. The accuracy of the missile is believed to be 2,000 - 4,000 m CEP when deployed at maximum range.