North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Into Sea As Blinken Visits Seoul

North Korea launched an apparent intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea on Monday, coinciding with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul amid political unrest in South Korea.

South Korea’s military said the missile was launched eastward at around noon shortly after Blinken met with South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok.

In that meeting, Blinken emphasised Washington’s “unwavering” security commitment to South Korea and called for a strong joint defence posture to prepare for possible North Korea provocations, according to an official readout.

Choi is standing in for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol whose Dec. 3 declaration of martial law stunned the country and led to his suspension from duties on Dec. 14.

Monday’s launch was Pyongyang’s first since Nov. 5 when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.

It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired but North Korea‘s IRBM tests last year featured a new solid-fuel design and carried what Pyongyang said was a hypersonic glide vehicle, a warhead designed to be able to manoeuvre and evade missile defences.

The North has said it is working to make its missiles of all ranges solid fuel. Solid-fuel missiles do not need to be fuelled immediately ahead of launch, are often easier and safer to operate, and require less logistical support, making them harder to detect and more survivable than liquid-fuel weapons.

Blinken On South Korea

During his visit to Seoul on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken avoided questions regarding the White House’s stance on speaking out more forcefully after South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law.

In what is likely his final trip to the region as America’s top diplomat before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, Blinken met with his counterpart and the acting president of South Korea to discuss strengthening stability and continuity in the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

While acknowledging the United States’ “serious concerns” about Yoon’s actions, Blinken expressed confidence in South Korea’s democratic resilience and the strength of its institutions during a joint news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.

Blinken also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defending South Korea, as he and acting President Choi Sang-mok discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation and trilateral collaboration with Japan, according to the U.S. State Department.

Blinken’s visit to Seoul coincided with efforts to arrest the embattled Yoon, who remains in his residence after his impeachment.

The arrest warrant for Yoon, set to expire Monday, was being pushed for an extension. If executed, Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

(With inputs from Reuters)