South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Sunday that North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea in the morning.

According to the JCS, the missiles covered approximately 900 kilometers, and authorities in South Korea and the United States are examining the specifics.

The launch marks North Korea's first ballistic missile test of the year and comes about two months after its previous test of a short-range ballistic missile on November 7.

The latest launch occurred on the same day President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to depart for China for a four-day state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

With a South Korea-China summit set for Monday, where North Korea's denuclearization is expected to be a key topic, the launch is widely viewed as an attempt by Pyongyang to assert its presence ahead of the talks.

The provocation also follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, known for his anti‑American stance, had been ousted in a military operation.