North Korea fired off multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday, hours before U.S. voters headed to the polls in a hotly contested presidential election.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said the North had fired at least seven short-range missiles, with the weapons flying about 400 kilometers each before splashing down in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Nakatani told reporters that the launch violates relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, calling it a serious concern that threatens citizens' safety.

Japan has “lodged a strong protest with North Korea and firmly condemned this action," he said.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba instructed Nakatani to gather information in close coordination with Japan's allies, and share relevant information with the public. Ishiba also instructed the government to ensure the safety of ships and aircraft, and make sure to be well prepared for unforeseen incidents.

Ishiba told reporters that there are currently no confirmed reports of damage from the missile launch.

Three senior foreign ministry officials of Japan, the U.S. and South Korea held a telephone conference over the incident, agreeing to closely coordinate over the development.

South Korea's military also confirmed that nuclear-armed Pyongyang had launched several short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan, which Seoul calls the East Sea.

The launch came hours ahead of a presidential vote in the United States that could have implications for Washington's ties with Pyongyang. The election, which many polls showed was a virtual dead heat, is pitting Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

During his term, Trump famously became the first sitting U.S. president to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with the mercurial Trump ultimately meeting with Kim three times.

Although those meetings did not yield any lasting progress in easing tensions, observers say Kim may be hoping for a Trump win that would at least open the possibility of a return to talks.

Harris, on the other hand, is widely expected to continue the policies toward Pyongyang carried out by incumbent President Joe Biden, which have included a focus on building up trilateral security ties with Tokyo and Seoul in a bid to deter North Korea.

North Korea on Thursday tested an upgraded intercontinental ballistic missile that demonstrated what it said is the "world's most powerful strategic deterrent," in Pyongyang's first weapons test since being accused of dispatching troops to Russia.

That missile flew for a record 86 minutes — the longest ever for one fired by Pyongyang, Japan's defense chief said, meaning it would likely put most if not all of the continental United States within striking distance.

Kim, who oversaw that launch, called it a warning to his country's enemies and vowed that his country "will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces."

In a statement released Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven developed countries condemned North Korea's missile launch last week.

"We deplore that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) once again chose to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs over the welfare of the people in the DPRK," it said.