Amid tensions over the US’ meddling in East Asia, North Korea launched two cruise missiles from the west coast town of Onchon into the Yellow Sea early Wednesday, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

"The US and South Korean military authorities are analyzing detailed specifications such as flight distance," a ministry official said as quoted by AFP.

It is worth noting that North Korea has not tested a cruise missile since January, as per Yonhap News Agency.

Pyongyang last conducted a weapons test on July 10, when it fired what appeared to be multiple rocket launchers.

The launches come just one day after Seoul and Washington began four days of preliminary joint drills in preparation for the long-delayed live field training Ulchi Freedom Shield, which will take place from August 22 to September 1.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the United States, South Korea, and Japan took part in a ballistic missile defense exercise off the coast of Hawaii last week, the first such drill since 2017.

Pyongyang is enraged by the drills, which it sees as a dress rehearsal for an invasion.

Kim: Washington "demonizing" Pyongyang

By the end of July, DPRK leader Kim Jong-Un, pointed out that Washington continues "dangerous, illegal hostile acts" with South Korea, and seeks to justify its behavior by "demonizing" the country.

He considered that "The duplex act of the United States, which is misleading all the routine actions of our armed forces as 'provocation' and 'threat' while holding large-scale joint military exercises that seriously threaten our security, is literally a robbery."

"That is driving bilateral relations to the point where it is difficult to turn back, into a state of conflict," he added.

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