The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected several projectiles, believed to be ballistic missiles, launched around 7:50 a.m. from a site near Pyongyang, but provided no further details as it analyzes the launch site and missile type.
It was North Korea's first ballistic missile launch this year and came about two months after it fired a short-range ballistic missile in November last year.
Shortly after the launch, the government here convened an emergency meeting of top security officials from related agencies and urged Pyongyang to stop provocative actions, saying they violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.
South Korean authorities are closely monitoring North Korea for any further provocations while heightening military readiness.
The North's latest provocation came just hours before President Lee Jae Myung's four-day trip to China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It also came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced the capture of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife and son, in a military operation.
Maduro, who has been accused of involvement in illegal cocaine and narcotics trafficking, was reportedly flown to New York to face drug-related charges.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
