SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's military said.

The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area at about 5:20 a.m. on September 12. They traveled around 250 kilometers (155 miles), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). South Korean and U.S. authorities were carrying out a detailed analysis to determine the missiles' exact specifications.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies detected the launches from the beginning and shared information about them. Details were also passed to Japan, the JCS said.

The JCS said South Korea's military was closely watching North Korean military activity and remained ready to respond to any provocation. It said the country's forces were maintaining a strong combined defense posture with the United States.

Following the missile launches, South Korea's presidential National Security Office held an emergency security meeting. Officials from the defense ministry, the JCS and other government agencies took part.

The officials reviewed the government's response, assessed the potential impact of the launches on South Korea's security, and discussed further measures. The presidential office called the launches a serious violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged North Korea to stop firing ballistic missiles immediately.

The U.S. military's Pacific Command said it was aware of the launches and was consulting closely with its allies and partners. Based on its initial assessment, it said the missiles did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, U.S. territory or American allies.

The command also said the United States remained committed to protecting its homeland and its allies in the region.

North Korea carried out a similar series of launches last month, firing more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles. At the time, Pyongyang also ordered its military to maintain full readiness during joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

The latest launches came just one day after South Korea, Japan and the United States completed joint military drills. The exercises were designed to test their readiness to respond to North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

The drills have long been criticized by North Korea, which considers joint exercises involving the United States and South Korea a threat to its security. Washington and Seoul, however, say the exercises are defensive and necessary to maintain military readiness.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly scaled back some military exercises. Trump had described the drills as hostile toward Pyongyang and said he expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.

The latest missile launches underline continuing tensions on the Korean Peninsula despite Trump's comments about a possible meeting with Kim. South Korea, the United States and Japan have continued to strengthen cooperation in response to North Korea's growing missile and nuclear weapons programs.