South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the three missiles launched from the North Korean capital area on Thursday afternoon headed for waters off the country’s east coast.

He said the South Korean military has stepped up preparedness and surveillance while maintaining close coordination with the United States.

Japan also detected the North Korean launches.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida asked officials to do everything possible to analyze the launch, ensure the safety of planes and ships in the area and take precautions and prepare for any possible emergency, according to his office.

The Japanese Coast Guard said a possible ballistic missile from North Korea may have landed at sea. It urged ships around Japan’s coast to watch out for falling objects and report them to authorities.

Earlier on Thursday, North Korean state media confirmed the country’s first COVID-19 infections as Kim ordered nationwide shutdowns to slow the spread of the virus. Kim also ordered officials to strengthen the country’s defense posture to avoid a security vacuum.

In recent months, North Korea has tested a series of missiles in what experts call an attempt to modernize its weapons and pressure the United States and its allies to accept it as a nuclear state and ease sanctions against the North. Some observers say that despite lofty anti-virus measures, North Korea is likely to continue weapons testing in an attempt to boost public morale at home and bolster loyalty to Kim’s leadership.

Thursday’s launches were the first weapons fired by the North since the inauguration of South Korea’s new conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday. Yoon’s office said his national security adviser, Kim Sung-han, planned to call a meeting to discuss the launches.

North Korea has a habit of shaking new governments in Seoul and Washington with the apparent aim of bolstering its strengths in future negotiations. The North Korean nuclear threat will likely be high on the agenda when Yoon meets visiting US President Joe Biden in Seoul next week.

North Korean weapons tested recently included a variety of nuclear-capable missiles that could potentially reach South Korea, Japan or the mainland United States.

Last Saturday, South Korea detected a North Korean ballistic missile launch likely from a submarine in its first test of underwater-launched weapons since last October. There are also signs that the North is preparing to carry out its first nuclear test in nearly five years at a remote proving ground in its northeast.

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.