SEOUL – North Korea launched a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea on Monday, coinciding with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul amid political unrest in South Korea.
South Korea’s military reported that the missile was fired eastward around noon, shortly after Blinken met with South Korea’s Acting President, Choi Sang-mok.
During the meeting, Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s “unwavering” security commitment to South Korea and advocated for a robust joint defense strategy to counter potential provocations from Pyongyang, according to an official statement.
Choi is temporarily leading the government following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose December 3 declaration of martial law shocked the nation and resulted in his suspension on December 14.
Monday’s missile test was North Korea’s first since November 5, when it launched at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.
Details about the missile type were not immediately available. However, previous intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) tests by North Korea included a new solid-fuel design equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle—a warhead capable of maneuvering to evade missile defenses.
North Korea has declared its intent to transition all missile types to solid fuel. Solid-fuel missiles are more operationally efficient, as they do not require fueling immediately before launch, are safer to handle, need less logistical support, and are harder to detect compared to their liquid-fuel counterparts.
