Seoul: North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Tuesday, as reported by South Korea's military. This move is seen as an apparent demonstration of military strength by Pyongyang ahead of its upcoming key party congress.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected the missiles launched from an area north of Pyongyang at around 3:50 p.m. The JCS stated, "Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile information with the U.S. and Japan sides amid a heightened surveillance posture against additional launches."

The ruling party in North Korea is anticipated to hold its first congress in five years early next month, where it is expected to unveil major policy lines on defense, diplomacy, and the economy.

The missile launch coincided with the conclusion of U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby's three-day visit to South Korea. Colby, who has now headed to Japan for the second leg of his Asia trip, met with key South Korean security officials, including the national security adviser and the defense and foreign ministers. Discussions were centered around alliance issues, such as Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and the desire to regain wartime operational control from Washington.

This visit by Colby followed the release of a new U.S. defense strategy, which emphasized the necessity for Seoul to assume a "primary" role in its defense. The strategy assessed North Korea as posing a "direct military threat" to both South Korea and Japan, and highlighted the danger of a potential nuclear attack by North Korean forces on the American homeland.

The last time North Korea fired ballistic missiles toward the East Sea was on January 4, coinciding with President Lee Jae Myung's departure for Beijing for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.