Kim Jong Un is briefed by his generals in this undated photo. On the wall is a map titled "Plan for the strategic forces to target mainland U.S."
- North Korea fires three short-range missiles, South Korean Defense Ministry is quoted as saying
- They were fired into the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast, Yonhap reports
- Tensions in the region have been high in recent months
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(CNN) -- North Korea launched three short-range guided missiles into the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast Saturday, South Korea's semi-official news agency Yonhap cited the South Korean Defense Ministry as saying.
The ministry said it had detected two launches in the morning, followed by another in the afternoon, Yonhap reported.
It said the country has beefed up monitoring on North Korea and is maintaining a high-level of readiness to deal with any risky developments.
According to the Arms Control Association, a U.S.-based organization, short-range guided missiles are generally classified as those traveling less than 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles.)
Tensions in the region had eased in recent days since a fraught period last month that included near daily North Korean threats of war.
U.S. and South Korean officials feared at that time that Kim Jong Un's regime was planning to carry out a test launch of longer-range ballistic missiles, believed to be Musudans. The South Korean government says they have a maximum range of 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles).
The tensions flared after the North's long-range rocket launch in December and underground nuclear test in February, both of which were widely condemned.
Pyongyang's fiery rhetoric intensified in March as the U.N. Security Council voted to tighten sanctions on the regime following the nuclear test.
Annual U.S.-South Korean military drills in South Korea also fueled the North's anger, especially when the United States carried out displays of strength that included nuclear-capable B2 stealth bombers.
CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.
