STORY: North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles from its east coast towards the sea on Monday. According to the South Korean military, there were two missiles. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported the missiles fell within minutes outside of Japan’s economic zone. North Korean media later confirmed that two missiles were fired from a multiple rocket launcher. South Korea and Japan condemned the rocket launches. South Korea’s foreign ministry announced sanctions against four people and five companies linked to the government’s weapons programs in Pyongyang in response to the latest tests. The US Indo-Pacific Command said the recent launch poses no immediate threat but underscores the “destabilizing effect” of the isolated country’s illegal weapons programs. North Korea had already fired a ballistic missile on Saturday after the Pyongyang government threatened a drastic response to annual joint US-South Korean military exercises.