N. Korea launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles

North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, in a provocation staged just days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Yonhap reported.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch at about 9:30 a.m. from the Ganggye area in the North's Jagang Province and they flew about 250 kilometers before splashing into the sea. It did not specify the number of missiles fired.

Tuesday's launch marked second provocation this year, after it fired what it claimed to be a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Jan. 6.

Given the flight distance of short-range ballistic missiles, they are usually seen as targeting South Korea.

But North Korea also fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Nov. 5 last year.

The JCS condemned the latest launch as a "blatant" provocation that threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and vowed to maintain a firm readiness posture against the possibility of North Korea making a "wrong judgment."

The JCS said it is monitoring the possibility of additional missile launches, noting it detected transporter erector launchers for firing missiles near the launch site.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok denounced North Korea's latest launch, calling it a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and pledged a firm response based on the ironclad South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Earlier, it was reported that North Korea fired a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea.