South Korea's ruling and opposition parties on Friday expressed concerns over Pyongyang's latest launch of missiles and called on the communist country to put its priority on improving the livelihood of its people instead of making threats against the world.

On Wednesday, North Korea fired off what is believed to be two Musudan mid-range missiles from near the city of Wonsan on its eastern coast. The latest launches follow four failed launches involving the Musudan missile since April.

"The safety of the country and people, along with national defense and security, are top factors that politicians must take into consideration," said Kim Hee-ok, the ruling Saenuri Party's interim leader. He made the point in a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Defense.

Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, echoed the view, adding that the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a mistake by firing off missiles.

"It is lamentable that North Korea is only focusing on the development of weapons even when the anniversary of the Korean War approaches," Woo said. "I must warn Pyongyang that nukes or missiles won't help them maintain their system."

Woo added that North Korea cannot buy respect from the international community if it continues to focus all its efforts on the development of weaponry. (Yonhap)