Seoul, Feb 28 (IANS): South Korea's defence ministry Friday said a missile launch by North Korea Thursday can be seen as "intended provocation".

"What North Korea fired off Thursday was seen as missiles of Scud type given the trajectory and speed of the missiles," Kim Min-seok, South Korea's defence ministry spokesman said in a press briefing.

Kim said the launch was seen as "intended provocation" as the incident came after the family reunions of the people of the two Koreas and beginning of the military exercise between Seoul and Washington, noting that a North Korean patrol ship also violated the maritime boundary earlier, reported Xinhua.

The ministry said North Korea Thursday fired off four short-range missiles from Gitaeryeong area on its coast at 5.42 p.m.

The projectiles were estimated to be Scud missiles with a range of more than 200 km, the first launch of such missiles since July 4, 2009.

The move came after South Korea and the US began their annual joint military exercise as scheduled Monday despite North Korea's demand for cancellation of the drills.

The two Koreas Tuesday ended a six-day reunion of families separated by the Korean War at North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort where hundreds of Koreans met their long-lost relatives for the first time in six decades.