North Korea launches a ballistic missile during Blinken’s visit to Seoul
- North Korea launched a ballistic missile off its east coast on Monday.
- The event coincided with a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul, during a period of political turbulence in South Korea, according to Reuters.
North Korea launches a ballistic missile during Blinken’s visit to Seoul
The South Korean military said the missile was fired eastward around noon (0300 GMT), shortly after Blinken met with South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok.
During the meeting, Blinken emphasized Washington’s “unwavering” security commitment to South Korea and called for a strong common defense posture to prepare for possible North Korean provocations, according to an official report.
Choi replaces ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, who stunned the country when he declared martial law on December 3, leading to his suspension from office on December 14.
Monday’s launch was the first since November 5, when Pyongyang fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.
It was not yet clear what type of missile was launched, but North Korea’s IRBM tests last year showed a new solid-fuel model and carried what Pyongyang said was a hypersonic glide vehicle, a warhead designed to be able to maneuver and evade the anti-missile defense.
The North has said it is pushing for its missiles of all ranges to have solid fuel. Solid-fuel missiles do not need to be fueled immediately before launch, are often easier and safer to operate, and require less logistical support, making them harder to detect.
Source: www.mediafax.ro
