North Korea launched a missile coinciding with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea, where he aimed to establish a stable foreign policy amid the political turmoil affecting the US ally.
The South Korean military reported that North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea at the same time Mr. Blinken was conducting meetings in Seoul.
“Our military detected one projectile believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile” directed towards the East Sea, said South Korea’s military, referring to what is also known as the Sea of Japan.
After the missile traveled approximately 1,100km, the military announced that Seoul had “enhanced surveillance and vigilance” in anticipation of any additional launches.
According to the South’s military, Seoul was “in close coordination with the US and Japan” regarding the launch.
Mr. Blinken stated that the missile launch constitutes a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
“We condemn the DPRK missile launch that occurred today, which is yet another infringement of multiple UN Security Council resolutions,” Mr. Blinken declared during a joint news conference in Seoul, using the North’s official designation, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
This test takes place just two weeks ahead of president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, who during his previous term attempted to engage North Korea through a distinctive personal diplomacy.
Antony Blinken WITH South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul
On what is likely to be his final trip as the top US diplomat, Mr. Blinken met with acting president Choi Sang-mok, who assumed office just over a week ago, alongside Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who is not facing impeachment threats.
With loud protests taking place in Seoul, audible from Mr. Blinken’s hotel, he opted not to engage in partisan politics.
Mr. Blinken emphasized Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to defending South Korea and discussed with Mr. Choi how both nations could collaborate to further bolster bilateral and trilateral cooperation with Japan, according to a State Department statement.
Mr. Choi’s office noted that South Korea remains dedicated to the “principles and agreements from the Camp David summit.”
The acting president “asserted that South Korea will continue to uphold its diplomatic and security policies grounded in a robust Korea-US alliance and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan,” the statement added.
Changes expected under Trump
The unrest and absence of a definitive leader in Asia’s fourth-largest economy emerge as the US undergoes its own political transition.
While Joe Biden is focused on strengthening US alliances, Mr. Trump, who will take office on January 20, has been critical of what he perceives as disproportionate commitments by Washington.
During his recent presidential campaign, Mr. Trump claimed that if he were in power, he would pressure South Korea to pay $10 billion annually for the US troop presence, nearly ten times its current contribution.
Interestingly, Mr. Trump developed a rapport with the last progressive South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, who supported his diplomatic efforts with North Korea.
Mr. Trump, who once threatened “fire and fury” against North Korea, ended up meeting with leader Kim Jong-un three times, famously stating that they “fell in love.”
While Mr. Trump’s distinctive personal diplomacy helped to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, it did not result in a lasting agreement to resolve Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
