SEOUL: North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off its east coast on Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The JCS said it detected the launches from the Sunan area in Pyongyang from around 9.08 am to 9.43 am local time, adding that the South Korean military was maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States while reinforcing surveillance and vigilance.

It marked the 18th projectile launch by North Korea this year and also the third since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office on May 10, Xinhua quoted a Yonhap news agency report.

The presidential office said that a national security council meeting is planned to be convened to discuss the missile launches by North Korea.

-- BERNAMA