TOKYO - North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Monday, Japan's Defense Ministry said, following a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile two days earlier.

The two missiles appear to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone and there were no reports of damage to aircraft or ships, the ministry said.

North Korea the same day released a statement by Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warning that the country may launch missiles into the Pacific Ocean, possibly over Japan.

"The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the U.S. forces' action," said the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The United States held joint air drills on Sunday separately with Japan and South Korea.

• North Korea says it fired ICBM as warning to US, Seoul

North Korea "will take corresponding counteraction" if U.S. actions are "judged to be any direct or indirect threat," said Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.

==Kyodo

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