Seoul [South Korea], March 14 (ANI): North Korea on Saturday launched around 10 ballistic missiles toward the East Sea or the Sea of Japan, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

According to Yonhap News Agency, the missiles were detected at around 1:20 pm (local time) after being launched from the Sunan area in North Korea. The launch marked Pyongyang's third ballistic missile test this year.

'Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile information with the US and Japanese sides amid a heightened surveillance posture against additional launches,' the JCS said, as quoted by Yonhap News Agency.

The launch came as South Korea and the United States are conducting their annual joint military exercise, Freedom Shield, which began earlier this week and is scheduled to run for 11 days.

North Korea has repeatedly criticised such joint drills, describing them as rehearsals for an invasion.

However, Seoul and Washington have maintained that the exercises are defensive in nature.

Earlier this week, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, condemned the drills and warned of 'unimaginably terrible consequences', Yonhap News Agency reported.

The development also comes after North Korea recently test-fired strategic cruise missiles from the Choe Hyon destroyer, with leader Kim Jong-un emphasising the need to maintain and expand a 'powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent', according to the North Korean state media.

Meanwhile, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok recently said that US President Donald Trump remained positive about resuming dialogue with Kim Jong-un, though the timing of such talks remains uncertain, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The remarks came amid speculation that Trump could seek a meeting with the North Korean leader during a planned visit to China for a summit with Xi Jinping in early April.

North Korea last conducted a similar launch on January 27, when it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, which it said were part of tests for a renewed large-calibre multiple rocket launcher system. (ANI)