^{North and South Korea have fired back-to-back ballistic missiles near each other's coasts across the Northern Limit Line.}

Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA Reporter | North Korea fired at least 23 missiles into the sea on Wednesday, including one that landed less than 60 km (40 miles) off South's coast, city of Sokcho.

In response, South Korea reacted with warplanes firing three air-to-ground missiles into the sea across the Northern Limit Line (NLL). Later Pyongyang fired six more missiles and a barrage of 100 artillery shells. 

It was the first time since the division of the two Koreas’ that a ballistic missile had "landed south of the NLL near our territorial sea", said the military officials. Added, the weapons used included an AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER, which is a U.S.-made "stand-off" precision attack weapon that can fly for up to 270 km (170 miles) with a 360-kg (800-lb) warhead.

The South's launches came after Yoon's office vowed a "swift and firm response". President Yoon Suk-yeol labelled North Korea's provocation today was an “effective territorial invasion”.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemns North Koreas missile launch, “the ballistic missile firing by North Korea was an outrageous act that was absolutely impermissible”, he said.

In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby called the North Korean launches "reckless" and said the United States would make sure it had the military capabilities in place to defend its treaty allies South Korea and Japan.