North Korea on Monday fired three ballistic missiles into the East Sea around 12:14 p.m., military said.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired from the country’s western region of Hwangju, North Hwanghae Province. It is yet unclear what type of missiles had been fired.

Some military officials have told local media that Pyongyang may carry out some form of armed protests -- including launch of a ballistic missile -- to commemorate the day North Korean government was founded, which falls on Sept. 9.

The communist country conventionally carries out a type of belligerent action to mark ceremonious occasions. It attempted to launch its intermediate-range ballistic missile Musudan before the ruling Workers Party of Korea convention in May, but had failed.

Under orders from its leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea has seen considerable advances in its ballistic missile programs. After pulling off the first successful launch of Musudan in June, it successfully test-fired its submarine-launched KN-11 ballistic missile last month.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)