North Korea today fired several banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers into waters off its east coast, South Korea's military said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that a total of four missiles in direction of the Sea of Japan were fired. <br/><br/>It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired or the exact number. The South's Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement that today's launches were made from the Tongchang-ri area in North Pyongan province.<br/>Both Tokyo and Seoul convened urgent security meetings on the launch. ?The launches occurred amid the joint drills between South Korean and US militaries, indicating an "apparent" protest from Pyongyang. <br/>United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against a potential aggression from the North Korea.