Ballistic Missile Launched by North Korea During Blinken’s Visit to Seoul

SEOUL—North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Monday, coinciding with the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul amidst political turmoil in South Korea.

The launch was confirmed by South Korea’s military, and Japan’s coast guard reported that a projectile believed to be a North Korea-fired missile had fallen.

During his meeting with South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok earlier on Monday, Blinken reiterated Washington’s strong defense commitment to the country and called for close diplomatic and security communication to deter potential provocations from North Korea, as per an official statement.

This latest launch marks North Korea’s first missile test since Nov. 5 when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.