Air raid sirens sounded on a South Korean island and residents there evacuated to underground shelters after North Korea fired about a dozen missiles in its direction Wednesday, at least one of them landing near the rivals맥스카지노� tense sea border. South Korea quickly responded by performing its own missile tests at the same border area.The launches came hours after North Korea threatened to use nuclear weapons to get the U.S. and South Korea to 맥스카지노減ay the most horrible price in history맥스카지노� as it intensified its fiery rhetoric targeting the ongoing South Korean-U.S. military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.They also came a few hours after the White House pushed back against North Korea맥스카지노檚 saber rattling, reiterating that the drills are part of a routine training schedule with South Korea.맥스카지노淲e reject the notion that they serve as any sort of provocation. We have made clear that we have no hostile intent towards (North Korea) and call on them to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy,맥스카지노� White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said late Tuesday. North Korea 맥스카지노渃ontinues to not respond. At the same time, we will continue to work closely with our allies and partners to limit the North맥스카지노檚 ability to advance its unlawful weapons programs and threaten regional stability,맥스카지노� Watson said.The North맥스카지노檚 barrage of missile tests also came as world attention was focused on South Korea following a weekend Halloween tragedy that saw more than 150 people killed in a crowd surge in Seoul in what was the country맥스카지노檚 largest disaster in years.South Korea맥스카지노檚 military said North Korea launched more than 10 missiles of various kinds off its eastern and western coasts on Wednesday.One of the missiles 맥스카지노� a ballistic weapon 맥스카지노� was flying toward South Korea맥스카지노檚 Ulleung island before it eventually landed 104 miles northwest of the island. South Korea맥스카지노檚 military subsequently issued an air raid alert on the island, according to the South맥스카지노檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff. South Korean media published photos showing island residents moving to underground shelters.Hours later on Wednesday, South Korea맥스카지노檚 military said it lifted the air raid alert on the island.That missile landed 16 miles away from the rivals맥스카지노� sea border. The landing site is in international waters but far south of the extension of the nations맥스카지노� sea border. South Korea맥스카지노檚 military said it was the first time a North Korean missile had landed so close to the sea border since the countries맥스카지노� division in 1948.맥스카지노淭his is very unprecedented and we will never tolerate it,맥스카지노� South Korea맥스카지노檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a separate statement.In 2010, North Korea shelled a frontline South Korean island off the peninsula's western coast, killing four people. But the weapons used were artillery rockets, not ballistic missiles whose launches or tests are banned by multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.Later Wednesday, South Korean fighter jets launched three air-to-surface, precision-guided missiles near the eastern sea border to show its determination to get tough on North Korean provocations. South Korea맥스카지노檚 military said the missiles landed in international waters at the same distance of 16 miles north of the extension of the sea border as the North Korean missile fell earlier Wednesday.It said it maintains a readiness to win 맥스카지노渁n overwhelming victory맥스카지노� against North Korea in potential clashes.맥스카지노淣orth Korea firing missiles in a way that sets off air raid sirens appears intended to threaten South Koreans to pressure their government to change policy,맥스카지노� said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. 맥스카지노淣orth Korea맥스카지노檚 expanding military capabilities and tests are worrisome, but offering concessions about alliance cooperation or nuclear recognition would make matters worse.맥스카지노漇outh Korea맥스카지노檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier identified three of the North Korean weapons launched as 맥스카지노渟hort-range ballistic missiles맥스카지노� fired from the North맥스카지노檚 eastern coastal town of Wonsan, including the one that landed near the sea border.North Korean short-range weapons are designed to strike key facilities in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.In an emergency meeting with top security officials, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered officials to take swift unspecified steps to make North Korea face consequences for its provocation. He said he would consider the North Korean missile맥스카지노檚 landing near the border 맥스카지노渁 virtual violation of (our) territorial waters.맥스카지노滵uring the emergency South Korean meeting, 맥스카지노減articipants lamented the provocations committed during our national mourning period and pointed out that this clearly showed the nature of the North Korean government,맥스카지노� according to South Korea맥스카지노檚 presidential office.Earlier Wednesday, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters that at least two ballistic missiles fired by North Korea showed a possibly 맥스카지노渋rregular맥스카지노� trajectory. This suggests the missiles are the North맥스카지노檚 highly maneuverable, nuclear-capable KN-23 missile, which was modeled on Russia맥스카지노檚 Iskander missile.Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called North Korea맥스카지노檚 continuing missile tests 맥스카지노渁bsolutely impermissible.맥스카지노滱nalyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said that the danger of armed clashes between the Koreas off their western or eastern coasts is increasing. He said South Korea needs to make 맥스카지노減roportional responses맥스카지노� to North Korean provocations, not 맥스카지노渙verwhelming responses,맥스카지노� to prevent tensions from spiraling out of control and possibly leading the North to use its tactical nuclear weapons.Animosities on the Korean Peninsula have been running high in recent months, with North Korea testing a string of nuclear-capable missiles and adopting a law authorizing the preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations. Some experts still doubt North Korea would use nuclear weapons first in the face of U.S. and South Korean forces.North Korea has argued its recent weapons tests were meant to issue a warning to Washington and Seoul over their series of joint military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, including this week맥스카지노檚 exercises involving about 240 warplanes.In a statement released early Wednesday, Pak Jong Chon, a secretary of the ruling Workers맥스카지노� Party who is considered a close confidant of leader Kim Jong Un, called the so-called Vigilant Storm air force drills 맥스카지노渁ggressive and provocative.맥스카지노�맥스카지노淚f the U.S. and South Korea attempt to use armed forces against (North Korea) without any fear, the special means of the (North맥스카지노檚) armed forces will carry out their strategic mission without delay,맥스카지노� Pak said, in an apparent reference to his country맥스카지노檚 nuclear weapons.맥스카지노淭he U.S. and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history,맥스카지노� he said.U.S. and South Korean officials have steadfastly said their drills are defensive in nature and that they have no intentions of attacking North Korea.___Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Aamer Madhani in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.