Seoul: N Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles towards East Sea

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on Wednesday morning, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing Seoul's military.

Yonhap cited the general staff in Seoul (JCS) as saying that it detected the launches at about 8:10 am (2310 GMT Tuesday). No further details about the launches were initially provided.

This marks Pyongyang's first missile launches since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took office in early June. North Korea last launched short-range ballistic and cruise missiles in May.

North Korea is prohibited by UN resolutions from launching or even testing ballistic missiles of any range. These are usually surface-to-surface missiles that can also be equipped with a nuclear warhead.

Pyongyang has significantly expanded its missile tests over the past years while sharpening its rhetoric against the US and South Korea. It has also strengthened its military cooperation with Russia.