SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Monday, coinciding with a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul amid a period of political turmoil in South Korea.
South Korea’s military confirmed the launch while Japan’s coast guard also said a missile believed to have been fired from North Korea had fallen.
Earlier on Monday, Blinken met with South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok and stressed Washington’s “unwavering” defense commitment to the country and called for close diplomatic and security communication to deter possible provocations by North Korea, according to an official readout.
Choi replaces impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose declaration of a state of emergency on December 3 stunned the country and led to his suspension from office on December 14.
Monday’s launch was Pyongyang’s first since Nov. 5, when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles from its east coast.
