South Korea's foreign ministry on Saturday expressed regrets on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s firing of short-range missiles off its east coast, calling it a provocative action which violates UN Security Council resolutions.

"The government has confirmed that North Korea fired four ballistic missiles from the Gitdaeryong site in Gangwon Province," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry called the firing a provocative action which violates UN Security Council resolutions 1695, 1718, and 1874 that banned the DPRK from any activity related with ballistic missiles.

The UNSC resolutions were reached when the DPRK conducted its nuclear tests, first in 2006 and the latest one in May this year.

The ministry expressed deep regrets over the DPRK continuing to attempt actions that elevate tensions in northeast Asia and urged the DPRK to faithfully implement the resolutions.

"The government will closely cooperate with other related countries to deal with the latest missile firing," the ministry added.

Earlier in the day, the DPRK launched four short-range missiles off its east coast, and three more after the statement by the foreign ministry was announced.

A South Korean government official, right after the firing in the morning, said the firing appears to have political purposes as it was conducted a day before the U.S. Independence Day.

Source: Xinhua