North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The JCS said it detected the launches from the Pyongyang area at around 9:20 a.m.
Further details, including whether the missiles were intermediate-range or short-range ballistic missiles, as well as their flight distances and speeds, were not immediately disclosed.
"Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance against the possibility of additional launches," the JCS said.
It added that South Korea, the United States and Japan were closely sharing information on the North Korean ballistic missiles while maintaining a full readiness posture.
If confirmed as a ballistic missile launch, it would mark North Korea's 16th such launch this year, following its previous launch on Oct. 3.
Monday's launch came four days after South Korea publicly revealed the first test launch of its homegrown hypersonic glide vehicle, a new strategic strike weapon under development.
On Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae said President Lee Jae Myung observed the inaugural test launch conducted by the Agency for Defense Development, the state-run defense research agency responsible for developing major weapons systems.
Cheong Wa Dae described the successful test as an important step toward securing a new deterrence capability capable of striking key targets across the Korean Peninsula.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com