The Japanese Defense Ministry says North Korea launched two more ballistic missiles on Thursday morning, but this time, they are believed to have landed in the Sea of Japan.

Defense officials think both projectiles fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone. This is the 6th North Korean launch in 12 days.

Analysts believe the tests have allowed North Korea to improve its capabilities.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang raised the alarm after it fired a missile over Japan for the first time in five years.

The intermediate-range ballistic missile flew a distance of 4,600 kilometers -- the furthest ever for a North Korean projectile.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the repeated launches. He said, "I have instructed the relevant ministries to provide information to the public and ensure people's safety. This is the sixth time Pyongyang has launched missiles in just a short period, since the end of September. It is absolutely unacceptable."

Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu said that Japan had lodged a protest against the North through the Japanese embassy in Beijing. He said the launch threatens peace and stability.

The US ambassador to the UN accused Russia and China of enabling Pyongyang by protecting it from sanctions. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, "The DPRK has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council. These two members have gone out their way to justify the DPRK's repeated provocations and block every attempt to update the sanctions regime."

She called on the UN delegates to remain unified despite recent divisions.

But China's ambassador blamed the United States and its allies for holding military exercises in the region. He says they have made the "confrontation even sharper."

After the meeting, 11 countries including Japan and the US, released a joint statement "strongly" condemning the launches. They said the North has violated multiple Security Council resolutions and threatened the international community.

The latest launch comes after the North slammed South Korea and the United States for escalating military tensions. On Wednesday, an American aircraft carrier returned to waters east of the Korean Peninsula.