South Korea ? South Korea says North Korea’s latest missile launches appear to have been part of routine training.

The North reportedly launched the short-range missiles earlier today in apparent anger over the new South Korean government’s tougher policy on its communist neighbor.

South Korean presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan told reporters that Seoul was “closely monitoring the situation.”

The launches came as the North issued a stern rebuke to Washington over an impasse at nuclear disarmament talks, warning that the Americans’ attitude could “gravely” affect the continuing disablement of Pyongyang’s atomic facilities.

The firing of three ship-to-ship missiles happened around 8:30 p.m. CDT Thursday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing unidentified government officials.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Ministry said they were checking on the report, which came one day after South Korea withdrew officials from a joint industrial zone with North Korea at Pyongyang’s request.