North Korea launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward sea

North Korea launched multiple short-range 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.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched multiple short-range 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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The missiles fired from the North's Sinpo area flew about 87 miles each in a direction toward the country's eastern waters, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan.

In an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, senior South Korean officials expressed concerns about North Korea's repeated ballistic missile tests and urged it to stop them immediately. Sunday's launches came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung left the country to visit India and Vietnam.