PYONGYANG: North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, marking the first such action in two months.
This development coincided with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul for a conference convened by President Yoon Suk Yeol, focusing on the advancement of democracy.
According to South Korea’s military, multiple short-range missiles traveled approximately 300 km (186 miles) after being fired from Pyongyang, the North’s capital, between 7:44 a.m. and 8:22 a.m. local time.
These missiles landed off the east coast, prompting condemnation from South Korea, which labeled the launches as a “clear provocation” and shared information with the United States and Japan.
Japan’s defense ministry reported the launch of three missiles, which traveled about 350 km with a maximum altitude of 50 km.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida denounced the launches, emphasizing their violation of UN resolutions and their threat to regional peace and security.
North Korea’s military has recently conducted exercises utilizing conventional weapons, often supervised by its leader, Kim Jong Un.
This display of military might follows the conclusion of large-scale joint military drills between South Korea and the United States and coincides with South Korea’s military mobilization near the sea border with North Korea, aiming to reinforce western islands.
Secretary Blinken, attending the Summit for Democracy conference, will also meet with his South Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. The summit, initiated by US President Joe Biden, seeks to address democratic challenges globally and prevent the erosion of rights and freedoms.
North Korea’s previous ballistic launch on Jan. 14 involved an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, while a month later, it launched multiple cruise missiles, including a new anti-ship missile, off its east coast.
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