By The South Asia Times

SEOUL — North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, a day after South Korea, the United States and Japan completed a five-day trilateral military exercise.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected several ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan area on the country's east coast at about 5:20 a.m. local time, according to Yonhap News.

The missiles traveled about 250 kilometers before falling into the sea, the JCS said, adding that South Korean and U.S. authorities were working to determine their precise specifications.

The launches were detected from an early stage, with South Korea and the United States sharing information and coordinating with Japan, according to the JCS.

"Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's various movements under a firm South Korea-U.S. defense posture," the JCS said, adding that it maintains the capability and readiness to respond "overwhelmingly" to any provocations.

South Korean military sources said the North appeared to have launched Hwasong-11 series ballistic missiles as well as rounds from its 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers in successive weapons demonstrations.

The launch followed the completion Friday of the Freedom Edge exercise, held in international waters east and south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju. The drills involved South Korean, U.S. and Japanese forces.

North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song-gi had condemned the trilateral exercise earlier this week and warned that Pyongyang would respond if the United States and its allies sought to provoke a military confrontation.

"If the U.S. and its allies attempt to provoke a new military confrontation with the DPRK, the latter will take strong and reflective countermeasures from the standpoint of power," Kim said Monday, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The latest launches also come despite Washington and Seoul reducing the scale of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise last month.

US President Donald Trump ordered the reduction, describing the exercises as costly and saying they sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to Pyongyang, in what was seen as an effort to lower tensions with North Korea.

North Korea has long condemned joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, portraying them as preparations for an invasion. Pyongyang has frequently responded with missile launches and other weapons tests.

The North last fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Aug. 20, during the US-South Korean UFS drills.

South Korea has since increased surveillance for possible additional launches and placed its military on heightened readiness while continuing to coordinate with Washington and Tokyo.

Saturday's missile launches also come ahead of an expected high-stakes meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington later this month. North Korea's nuclear and missile programs are expected to be among the regional security issues discussed by the two leaders.