North Korea launched more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The military said it detected the missiles being launched from the Wonsan area at around 12:30 p.m. The flight distances were not immediately disclosed.
"Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for possible additional launches," the JCS said, adding that South Korea, the United States and Japan were closely sharing information on the North Korean ballistic missiles and maintaining a readiness posture.
Thursday's launch marked North Korea's 17th ballistic missile launch of the year and its first in 17 days, following its Oct. 12 firing of multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
Some of the missiles launched at the time flew more than 900 kilometers.
The latest launch came a day after South Korea, the United States and other like-minded partners reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea's denuclearization, amid renewed international pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, 11 countries and the European Union also welcomed recent sanctions targeting North Korea's overseas workers, cyber activities and military cooperation with Russia, while urging UN member states to fully implement sanctions resolutions against Pyongyang.
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