North Korea on Sunday fired five short-range missiles into the sea as it steps up protests against military drills planned by the U.S. and South Korea in the coming weeks.

North Korea on Sunday fired five short-range missiles into the sea as it steps up protests against military drills planned by the US and South Korea in the coming weeks.

The missiles were launched between 4:20 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. local time from Wonsan, a city on the eastern coast, and flew about 200 kilometers (120 miles) in a northeasterly direction before landing in the sea, South Korea’s defense ministry said. The missiles were no threat to neighboring countries.

The move follows a test of a new anti-ship cruise missile from a North Korean vessel during an exercise observed by Kim Jong Un. North Korea published photos of the launch in its main newspaper and described the missile as “ultra precision.” Seoul’s defense ministry said that drill took place on Friday.

North Korea observers say the country conducts missile tests as a protest against Washington and Seoul over policies and actions Pyongyang considers hostile.

The latest launches come ahead of annual joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which are due to start in the next few weeks. A schedule hasn’t been confirmed.