As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul on Monday, North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile, highlighting the urgency of bolstering regional security cooperation.
The missile, fired around noon local time (0300 GMT), travelled over 1,100 kilometres (690 miles) east before landing in the sea, according to South Korea’s military.
Addressing the incident at a press conference hours later, Blinken emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan to counter Pyongyang’s growing provocations. He pointed to initiatives such as real-time missile data sharing and trilateral military exercises as vital measures to deter further threats.
“Today’s launch is just a reminder to all of us of how important our collaborative work is,” he said.
Blinken also warned of Pyongyang’s deepening ties with Moscow. He said Washington believed Russia intended to share space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for its support for the Ukraine war, in which more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.
President Joe Biden, who leaves office this month, made headway in deepening trilateral cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea and Japan, despite historic issues that have often plagued relations between the Asian neighbours.
But political turmoil in South Korea, together with the imminent return of the unpredictable rule of Donald Trump in the United States, has raised questions over whether those efforts can be sustained.
South Korean lawmakers last month voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol and suspend him from duties after his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law stunned the country. Yoon’s impeachment trial is being heard by the Constitutional Court.
If Yoon is permanently removed from office, a presidential election would be called and the liberals — seen as likely to win that contest — have been critical of Yoon’s efforts to partner with Tokyo.
Blinken, who also met on Monday with acting President Choi Sang-mok, told the news conference that while Washington had “serious concerns” about Yoon’s actions, it had confidence in the country’s institutions and democratic resilience.
Monday’s launch was Pyongyang’s first since Nov. 5 when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles.
It was not immediately clear what type of missile was launched, but North Korea’s intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) tests last year showcased a new solid-fuel design. These tests reportedly carried a hypersonic glide vehicle— a warhead capable of manoeuvring mid-flight to evade missile defences.
Pyongyang’s ambition is to transition missiles across all ranges to solid-fuel technology. Solid-fuel missiles offer significant strategic advantages: they do not require fueling immediately before launch, making them faster to deploy.
Additionally, they are safer to handle, demand less logistical support, and are harder to detect, enhancing their survivability compared to liquid-fuel systems.
Team BharatShakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
