The photo taken on Monday and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the firepower strike drill ground of long-range artillery sub-units of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location (See story on Page 15). Photo: AFP

North Korea test-fired short-range projectiles into the East Sea on Monday in what was believed to be part of the ongoing firing drills, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The JCS said in a statement that the South Korean military detected short-range projectiles of multiple types, which were launched northeastward from areas near North ­Korea's eastern town of Sondok in South Hamgyong province at about 7:36 am local time.

The projectiles flew as far as around 200 kilometers at a maximum altitude of some 50 kilometers. The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the US were analyzing further details, the JCS said.

The JCS noted that the launches were seen as the part of North Korea's joint strike exercises, involving multiple rocket launchers of various types, for a wintertime drill following previous exercises on February 28 and March 2. A week earlier, North Korea fired two short-range projectiles, which traveled about 240 kilometers at an altitude of some 35 kilometers, into the eastern waters.

The JCS said the South Korean military was closely monitoring relevant situations in preparation for possible further launches while maintaining a thorough defense readiness.

The South expressed strong regrets over North Korea's projectile launches, adding that such acts run counter to the basic spirit of the inter-Korean military agreement in which the two sides agreed on defusing military tensions and building trust on the Korean Peninsula.

The military agreement was signed during the third summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that was held in Pyongyang in September 2018.