India, Jan. 4 -- North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, marking the nuclear-armed nation's first weapons test of the year, South Korea's military said.

The launch comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departs for China for talks with President Xi Jinping. It also coincides with heightened global tensions following US President Donald Trump's announcement that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro had been captured during a large-scale US military operation.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from an area near Pyongyang at around 7:50 a.m., according to Yonhap News Agency.

"Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while...