North Korea is presumed to have used its KN-25 600-millimeter multiple rocket launch system to fire off short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS), the missiles appeared to have reached their intended destination in the East Sea.

In light of a statement that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong released shortly before the missile launch, a JCS official said the action could be a response to the recent Seoul-Washington-Tokyo joint training exercises, which included the deployment of a B-1B strategic bomber. 

The ballistic missiles were launched from the Sariwon area in North Hwanghae Province, the official explained, and could potentially have reached the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula.

The JCS official said North Korea’s recent provocations also seem to be intended to heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and divert attention from the deployment of its troops to Russia.