Wire reporting: (AP, via KSAT), (AFP, via SCMP)

North Korea fired about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea's military said, launching them from the Wonsan area on the country's east coast at around 12:30 p.m. local time^10,4,14.

The missiles flew about 250 kilometers, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, and further analysis of other specifications was under way with the United States^10,4,14.

Japan confirmed a launch. Tokyo said it was not immediately clear how many missiles it had detected, and they were believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone^13,3,12. The Japan Coast Guard separately said an object that appeared to be a ballistic missile seemed to have already fallen and urged ships to be vigilant^2,4,12.

Counts differed slightly in early reports. Yonhap, France 24, Japan Times and The Korea Herald described around a dozen missiles^10,4,13,14. Daily Maverick, DW and CNA, citing South Korea's military, used a figure of around 10^1,3,12. AP and Reuters initially used projectile language before later barrage wording in AP copy carried by other outlets^5,7,9.

The Joint Chiefs said South Korea had stepped up surveillance against possible additional launches and was sharing information with the United States and Japan^10,3,12. "Based on a staunch South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring various North Korean activities," the JCS said, according to Yonhap¹⁰.

Seoul's National Security Office said the launches violated U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to France 24⁴. There was no immediate public statement from North Korea on Thursday's firing in the accounts reviewed^10,4.

The launch came about a week after South Korea proposed military talks aimed at clarifying border demarcation after a Sept. 21 land-mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone that wounded three South Korean soldiers^10,4. France 24 said a joint Seoul-U.N. investigation earlier this month concluded that North Korea had planted the mines; Yonhap said Pyongyang has denied responsibility^4,10.

France 24 reported that last week Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said the North would place loudspeakers on standby along the border and that Pyongyang had not answered Seoul's talks proposal⁴. Yonhap said the North has accused Seoul of shifting blame for the mine blast and has threatened weapons deployments and propaganda broadcasts along the border¹⁰.

Thursday's firing came more than two weeks after an Oct. 12 North Korean test of what Pyongyang called tactical ballistic missiles^10,13. What type of missile was used on Thursday, and whether there will be further launches, remained under analysis^10,4.