North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday, in its latest show of force a week before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles flew approximately 250 kilometers after being launched at around 9:30 a.m. from Kanggye, Jagang Province, near the regime’s border with China. They landed in the East Sea, it added.

“The South Korea-US intelligence authorities had been closely monitoring signs of missile launch preparations by North Korea and promptly detected and tracked the launch,” the JCS said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the exact number and type of missiles launched were not immediately disclosed.

According to the JCS spokesperson, Army Col. Lee Sung-jun, the military is preparing for potential additional launches, given the nature of short-range ballistic missiles, which can be fired in rapid succession from transporter erector launchers.

The military added that information about the launch was shared with the US and Japan, highlighting South Korea’s strong defense posture based on the Korea-US military alliance.

Prompted by the launch, the presidential office convened a security situation review meeting, presided over by second deputy national security adviser In Seong-hwan, to discuss North Korean missile activity and future countermeasures.

“The government will closely monitor North Korea’s movements and maintain a state of full readiness to respond to any provocation,” it said in a statement.

Tuesday’s firing, marking its second of the year, comes just eight days after North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile powered by solid fuel into the same East Sea on Jan. 6.

Such aggression appears to be an attempt by North Korea to escalate tensions ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday.

Asia News Network/The Korea Herald