海角大神

North聽Korea聽fired two short-range Scud missiles into its eastern waters Sunday, a South Korean official said, in an apparent test just days after the country tested what it called new precision-guided missiles.

A South Korean military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department rules, said the missiles were fired from Wonsan and are presumed to be short-range Scud ballistic missiles. The official added that the military is determining what kind of Scud missiles the projectiles were. South Korean media quoted officials as saying the missiles are presumed to be Scud-C missiles, the same as ones fired in March. North聽Korea聽fired the missiles without designating no-sail zones, which the South Korean military views as provocative.

North聽Korea聽regularly test-fires missiles and artillery, both to refine its weapons and to express its anger over various developments in Seoul and Washington.聽North聽Korea聽has in recent days criticized alleged South Korean artillery firing drills near a disputed maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea that has been the scene of several bloody skirmishes between the rival nations in recent years. The missile displays also come days before the leader of聽North聽Korea's聽only major ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping, is set to meet with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Seoul and Beijing have long pressed聽North聽Korea聽to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.

North聽Korea聽said Friday that leader Kim Jong Un guided test launches of a newly developed precision-guided missiles, in a likely reference to three short-range projectiles South Korean officials say the聽North聽fired a day earlier.

It's not possible to tell if this assertion about the new missiles is an exaggeration, something聽North聽Korea聽has frequently done in the past when trumpeting its military capability, analysts say. Its army is one of the world's largest but is believed to be badly supplied and forced to use outdated equipment.

Still, the impoverished聽North聽devotes much of its scarce resources to missile and nuclear programs that threaten South聽Korea, Japan and tens of thousands of U.S. troops in the region. Outside analysts sayNorth聽Korea聽has developed a handful of crude nuclear devices and is working toward building a warhead small enough to mount on a long-range missile, although most experts say that goal may take years to achieve.

After a brief period of warming ties earlier this year, animosity has risen on the Korean Peninsula.聽North聽Koreahas in recent months threatened South聽Korea's聽president, calling her a prostitute, and the South has vowed to hit聽North聽Korea聽hard if provoked. Pyongyang conducted a series of missile and artillery tests earlier this year in response to annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises it says it considers preparations for an invasion.North聽Korea聽also test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles and exchanged artillery fire with South聽Koreanear the disputed boundary in the Yellow Sea.

On Thursday,聽North聽Korea's聽army accused South聽Korea聽of firing shells into the聽North's聽waters near the sea boundary.

Both聽Koreas聽routinely conduct artillery drills near the maritime boundary. A聽North聽Korean artillery attack in 2010 killed four South Koreans on a front-line Yellow Sea island.

The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.