(Bloomberg) -- North Korea fired a ballistic missile Monday, raising tensions in the region as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Korea to reaffirm the security alliance between Washington and Seoul.
North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message. South Korea and Japan are closely sharing information on the missile that was fired from near Pyongyang around noon local time and flew around 1,100 kilometers before splashing down in waters, the military added.
The move by North Korea holds significance given South Korea has been grappling with a political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief martial law declaration, which resulted in his impeachment. South Korea’s defense minister and several military commanders have been arrested or suspended for their alleged involvement in the martial law plan.
South Korea’s National Security Council convened a meeting and vowed to maintain readiness, it said in a statement.
“We condemn yet another violation of multiple Security Council resolutions with a reported missile launch,” Blinken said during a press conference in Seoul on Monday after meeting with his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul.
North Korea has ratcheted up tensions in the Korean peninsula by firing more than 40 missiles last year.
Blinken on Monday met with South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok and expressed “complete trust” in his leadership, according to a statement from the government in Seoul. Finance Minister Choi is South Korea’s second acting leader since Yoon was impeached last month. The Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to finalize Yoon’s ouster.
The political crisis in Seoul has coincided with North Korea’s growing military cooperation with Russia, with Kim Jong Un sending troops to join the war in Ukraine. Blinken and Choi discussed North Korea and cooperation among the US, South Korea and Japan during their meeting, according to the South Korean statement.
The US and South Korea have also accused Kim of sending scores of artillery ammunition to Russia to help Putin in his war efforts. In exchange for the arms, Russia has sent aid that has propped up North Korea’s economy and helped Kim advance his weapons programs, Seoul and Washington have said. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the accusations despite ample evidence showing the arms transfers taking place.
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief has said supplies of North Korean ammunition to Moscow have been causing major headaches for his country’s defense, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds through its third year.
--With assistance from Ryotaro Nakamaru and Shinhye Kang.
(Updates with flight range, Blinken comments)
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