TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea’s latest missile launch violated United Nations resolutions calling for a halt to such ballistic weapons tests, a spokesman for Japan’s government said on Friday.

“They were ballistic missiles and that puts it in contravention of U.N. resolutions,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kotaro Nogami said at a regular press briefing.

North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range missiles on Thursday, its second missile test in less than a week.

Japan, which is within striking distance of North Korean mid-range missiles, has been a strong advocate of tough resolutions to force Pyongyang to abandon its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons programs.