Seoul, Aug. 21 -- Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea launched a barrage of around 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongyang, South Korean media reported.

The missiles that were launched a day ago prompted urgent trilateral consultations among senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan on Friday.

As per a report by South Korea's official news agency Yonhap, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected roughly a dozen short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang area at around 5 pm (local time Thursday), adding that further analysis is under way in cooperation with the United States.

According to a statement by Japan's Foreign Ministr...