US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets South Korea’s Performing President Choi Sang-mok in Seoul.
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the ocean on the similar time the highest United States diplomat was holding conferences within the South Korean capital, Seoul.
South Korea’s army mentioned the missile was launched eastward at about midday (03:00 GMT) shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with South Korean Performing President Choi Sang-mok.
“Our army detected one projectile presumed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile,” the army mentioned.
After the missile flew about 1,100km (680 miles), earlier than touchdown in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, the army mentioned Seoul “strengthened surveillance and vigilance” for any extra launches.
The missile appeared to have fallen into the water, based on Japan. Seoul was “in shut coordination with the US and Japan” in regards to the launch, the South’s army added.
Japan’s Ministry of Protection mentioned the missile landed outdoors its unique financial zone and that there have been no stories of injury to vessels or plane.
Each Blinken and South Korean International Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the launch at a joint information convention, with Washington’s prime diplomat calling it “one other violation of a number of UN Safety Council resolutions”.
Monday’s launch was Pyongyang’s first since November 5 when it fired no less than seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.
Al Jazeera’s Patrick Fok, reporting from Seoul, mentioned the timing of the missile firing was “important” for a number of causes.
“It’s going down simply a few weeks forward of Donald Trump taking workplace within the US,” he mentioned. “This [missile launch] can be essential as a result of North Korea has been comparatively quiet since this political disaster [the failed coup attempt in December] has unfolded right here.”
South Korean legislators final month voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol and droop him from duties after his December 3 declaration of martial regulation shocked the nation. Yoon’s impeachment trial is being heard by the Constitutional Courtroom, whereas South Korean investigators have sought a warrant to arrest the previous chief.
‘Iron-clad dedication’
The US Secretary of State reiterated the “ironclad dedication” of Washington to defending South Korea and spoke with performing President Choi about “how either side will work collectively to additional strengthen bilateral cooperation and trilateral cooperation with Japan”, a State Division assertion mentioned.
Till briefly imposing martial regulation on December 3, Yoon had been a darling of President Joe Biden’s administration for his pro-US insurance policies on the worldwide stage.
Yoon delighted the US by in search of to show the web page on many years of friction with Japan, a fellow US ally that can be residence to 1000’s of US troops.
Yoon joined Biden and Japan’s then-prime minister Fumio Kishida in 2023 for a landmark three-way summit on the Camp David presidential retreat that included a promise to step up intelligence cooperation on North Korea.
Choi’s workplace mentioned in an announcement that South Korea remained dedicated to the “rules and agreements from the Camp David summit”.
The performing president “acknowledged that South Korea will proceed to take care of its diplomatic and safety insurance policies based mostly on a robust Korea-US alliance and trilateral cooperation amongst South Korea, the US and Japan”.
North Korea and Russia cooperation
Blinken mentioned Monday that the US believed Russia was increasing house cooperation with North Korea in exchange for its troop contribution in combating Ukraine.
“The DPRK [North Korea] is already receiving Russian army gear and coaching. Now we now have motive to consider that Moscow intends to share superior house and satellite tv for pc know-how with Pyongyang,” Blinken mentioned.
Blinken mentioned greater than 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed or injured within the warfare on Ukraine.
Furthermore, Blinken mentioned the US believed that Russia “could also be shut” to formally accepting North Korea’s standing as a nuclear energy.
