Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea fired two short-range missiles early Sunday towards waters east of the Korean Peninsula, the latest such launch in the tense region, a South Korean official said.
The projectiles were fired at 1:20 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Sunday (12:20 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday), according to the South Korean defense ministry official. They appear to have flown about 500 kilometers (310 miles).
The official added that South Korea's military is monitoring the situation closely.
North Korea has carried out a series of missile and rocket launches into the sea in recent months, drawing criticism from South Korea, the United States and the United Nations.