North Korea launches two projectiles into Sea of Japan

North Korea launched two projectiles into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, South Korean military officials said.

In a statement to NBC News, South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff called the move "totally inappropriate behavior" at a time when the world was battling a pandemic.

The projectiles were suspected to be short-range ballistic missiles lobbed to the northeast from the Wonsan area of North Korea to the sea, the Korean military command said.

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The launch happened about 6:10 a.m., it said.

"The projectile launched today flew for about 230 kilometers at the altitude about 30 milometers," the Joint Chief of Staff said. "SK and the U.S. intelligence offices are jointly working on the further analysis."

A senior official in the administration of President Donald Trump said it was aware of the launch.

"We continue to monitor the situation and are consulting with our allies," the source told NBC News.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the projectiles are believed to have landed in the sea outside the country's exclusive economic zone, according to The Associated Press.

North Korea said on March 21 that Trump sent a letter to its leader, Kim Jong Un, that "expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work."

The same day, South Korea's military said North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles that landed in the sea.