Seoul is preparing militarily to deploy fighters after monitoring the movement of 180 planes to Pyongyang

South Korea announced that its army deployed about 80 fighters after monitoring the movement of 180 North Korean warplanes during the noon hours, in conjunction with Pyongyang's launch of three short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea Thursday night.

The South Korean military announced, on Friday, the deployment of about 80 warplanes, after monitoring the movement of 180 North Korean military aircraft during the noon hours.

The General Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces said in a statement that it had taken countermeasures after monitoring about 180 North Korean warplanes tracks during the period from 11:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) until 3:00 p.m. Friday (Friday). 06:00 GMT).

And the local Yonhap news agency quoted the agency as saying that the northern planes flew over various skies in the territory of the northern part of the tactical line of action and the east and west waters of the Korean Peninsula.

In response, according to the statement, "the South Korean Air Force has deployed about 80 distinctive warplanes, including the F-35A Steeles."

The statement stated that the southern army is closely monitoring the movements of its northern counterpart and the developments of the situation in close coordination with the US forces, while maintaining a state of strict alert in preparation for possible additional provocations by Pyongyang.

In a related context, the South Korean military announced that Pyongyang launched three short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea Thursday night.

This came about an hour after North Korea criticized Seoul and Washington's decision to extend joint air exercises, calling it a "very dangerous and wrong choice."

The South Korean Armed Forces Staff said the North had fired the missiles from Goksan Municipality in North Hwanghae Province at 21:35 (12:35 GMT), according to local Yonhap news agency.

The agency later added that the North Korean missiles flew about 490 kilometers at a maximum altitude of about 130 kilometers.

Pyongyang also fired about 80 artillery shells at midnight Thursday-Friday toward the military buffer zone in the East Sea, "violating the September 19 agreement signed with the South in 2018 to reduce military tension," according to the South Korean military.