The South Korean military says North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles from an inland area eastward on Thursday evening. Analysts believe that the launches were intended to show Pyongyang's strong opposition to large-scale joint air drills by US and South Korean forces.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched the missiles from the county of Koksan in North Hwanghae Province from around 9:35 p.m. to 9:49 p.m.

They said the missiles flew at a top speed of Mach 6, or six times as fast as sound, traveling about 490 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 130 kilometers.

The launches came roughly one hour after Pak Jong Chon, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, issued a statement.

It condemned the decision by the US and South Korea to extend their ongoing joint air exercises, which were scheduled to end on Friday.

The statement called the decision "very dangerous" and "irresponsible." It says the decision "is shoving the present situation caused by provocative military acts of the allied forces to an uncontrollable phase."

It added that the US and South Korea "will get to know what an irrevocable and awful mistake they made."

North Korea launched three ballistic missiles, including one with a possible intercontinental range, toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday morning. Analysts believe those launches were also Pyongyang's attempt to protest the air drills.