North Korea conducted multiple ballistic missile launches toward the Japan Sea on Saturday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
The missiles were fired from the port city of Wonsan and traveled approximately 250 kilometers before landing in the Japan Sea, officials said. South Korean military initially reported a single launch but later confirmed multiple missiles were fired.
South Korean military authorities said they have heightened surveillance to detect any additional launches and are maintaining full combat readiness while sharing relevant information with the United States and Japan.
The launches occurred one day after the conclusion of a five-day joint military exercise involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The operation, called Freedom Edge, took place in international waters east and south of the South Korean island of Jeju.
The timing of the missile test followed a recent development in North Korea's naval capabilities. On September 6, North Korea's navy commissioned a new destroyer named Kang Gon of the Choe Hyun class during a ceremony at Wonsan port. The event was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.