North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, days after the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog warned that North Korea was making “very serious” advances in efforts to build nuclear weapons.

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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches happened on Sunday morning from the Sinpo area, an eastern coastal site where North Korea has a major shipyard use for building submarines. South Korea’s military said it has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan.

South Korea’s presidential office said its National Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the launches.

Japan’s Defense Ministry also detected the launches, saying the weapons were believed to have landed in the waters off North Korea’s east coast. It said Tokyo strongly protested to Pyongyang, saying Sunday’s launches threaten regional and international peace and violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea.

The launches were the latest in North Korea’s run of weapons testing activities this year.