The latest chapter in a tale of tensions between North and South Korea has opened with Seoul accusing Pyongyang of firing two short-range missiles off the east coast.<br /><br /> Their launch coincides with annual US-South Korean military drills involving tens of thousands of troops. Their northern neighbour denounces the exercises as a preparation for war.<br /><br /> A spokesperson for the South Korean military said the rockets were fired from the city of Nampo into the sea east of the Korean peninsula. They are said to have had a range of 490 kilometres.<br /><br /> The exercise provoked a swift reaction from Japan. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga labelled the launch “an extremely problematic action” saying “we swiftly lodged a stern protest with North Korea.”<br /><br /> “This ballistic missile launch by North Korea is an extremely problematic action for ensuring the safe passage of ships and aeroplanes,” said Suga. “And it violates the Pyongyang Declaration – an agreement between Japan and North Korea related to
