North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Sunday, its first such test in two months, just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea's capital region around 7:50 a.m. local time. The missiles flew approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles) before landing in the body of water known as the East Sea or Sea of Japan, according to the South Korean military.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi confirmed that at least two missile launches had been detected. Japan's defense ministry said the missiles reached an altitude of 50 kilometers and flew distances of 900 and 950 kilometers respectively.

"North Korea's nuclear and missile development threatens the peace and stability of our country and the international society, and is absolutely intolerable," Koizumi told reporters. The Japanese government lodged a formal protest with North Korea through official channels.

U.S. and regional response

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that it was "aware of the missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners."

"Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," the statement said. "The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region."

South Korea's defense ministry noted the launches violated United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban any ballistic activities by North Korea. The ministry urged Pyongyang to cease provocative actions immediately and respond to Seoul's push to restart talks and restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea convened an emergency national security council meeting following the launches. The council reported details of the launches and unspecified South Korean countermeasures to President Lee, according to the presidential office.

North Korea links test to Venezuela crisis

North Korea's state media on Monday confirmed the launches and provided additional details, reporting that leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of hypersonic missiles in a drill made necessary by "the recent geopolitical crisis."

The Korean Central News Agency said the missiles "hit the targets 1,000 km away" in the Sea of Japan and employed a "cutting-edge" new weapon system using hypersonic missiles first tested in October.

Kim said that "important achievements have been recently made in putting our nuclear forces on a practical basis and preparing them for an actual war," according to KCNA.

"Why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events," Kim said.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolás Maduro as "the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty."

"The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S. which the international community has so frequently witnessed for a long time," a ministry spokesperson said.

The U.S. operation against Venezuela represents a scenario North Korea's leadership has long accused Washington of seeking to carry out against Pyongyang. North Korea has for decades justified its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against alleged regime change efforts by the United States.

Analysts assess timing and message

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, told Reuters the launches from Pyongyang represented "a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China's stance on denuclearization."

Lim added that North Korea was sending a message of strength that it was different from Venezuela following the U.S. operation to capture Maduro.

Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea likely fears that "if the United States so chooses, it could launch a precision strike at any moment, threatening the regime's survival."

"The underlying message is likely that attacking North Korea would not be as easy as a strike on Venezuela," Hong said.

Bong Youngshik, a visiting professor at Yonsei University, told Reuters: "After seeing what's happening in Venezuela right now, the person who would be most afraid is Kim Jong Un."

Lee Il-kyu, a former senior North Korean diplomat who served as Pyongyang's political counselor in Cuba before defecting to South Korea in 2023, said North Korea should learn from the U.S. operation to detain Maduro.

"I hope it remembers former president Maduro for a long time — as a man who squandered a valuable opportunity through bluster," Lee wrote in a Facebook post Sunday.

South Korean president's China visit

The missile launches came just hours before President Lee departed for Beijing for a four-day state visit. Lee, accompanied by more than 200 South Korean business leaders, is expected to discuss supply chain investment, the digital economy and cultural exchanges.

Lee's office said he would request that China, North Korea's major ally and biggest trading partner, take "a constructive role" in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea and the United States have long asked China to exercise its influence on North Korea to persuade it to return to talks or abandon its nuclear program. Questions remain about the extent of China's leverage over its neighbor. China, together with Russia, has repeatedly blocked U.S. and allied attempts to toughen economic sanctions on North Korea in recent years.

Before his trip, Lee gave an interview to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in which he assured that South Korea consistently respects the "One-China" policy regarding Taiwan. He praised Xi as a "truly reliable neighbor."

The launches marked North Korea's first ballistic missile test since November. State media reported Sunday that Kim visited a weapons factory on Saturday and ordered officials to expand production capacity by 250 percent.

North Korea has not announced when it will hold its Ninth Party Congress of the Workers' Party, but South Korea's intelligence service said it will likely occur in January or February. Observers are watching the congress to see whether North Korea will set a new policy on the United States and respond to calls to resume long-stalled talks.