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Seoul announced that North Korea launched several ballistic missiles on Saturday, following the conclusion of South Korea's five-day joint military drills with the United States and Japan.
Last month, Pyongyang denounced the "Freedom Edge" drills held in international waters off the coast of South Korea, considering them a "threat" to it and other countries in the region.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that Seoul detected on Saturday "the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea," also known as the Sea of Japan.
It indicated that the missiles were detected at around 05:20 am (20:20 GMT Friday) and that they flew a distance of approximately 250 kilometers.
It added that the intelligence agencies of South Korea and the United States "exchanged information regarding them since the initial launch phase, and also shared information related to the... missile with Japan."
In August, Pyongyang launched a barrage of missiles toward the sea just hours after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year.
The launch coincided with South Korea and the United States conducting a scaled-back version of their annual joint military exercises, "Ulchi Freedom Shield," following an order by Trump to reduce them.
Trump's decision to scale back the maneuvers raised concerns among US allies in the region, especially since he described them as "inappropriate and provocative" toward North Korea.
However, South Korean intelligence agencies briefed parliament earlier this month that a summit between the United States and North Korea appears possible "at any time," amid signs of dialogue between them.
Trump met Kim three times during his first term in summits aimed at reaching a denuclearization agreement, though no tangible progress was made.
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