North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea at the same time the top United States diplomat was holding meetings in the South Korean capital, Seoul.
South Korea’s military said the missile was launched eastward at about noon (03:00 GMT) shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok.
“Our military detected one projectile presumed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile,” the military said.
After the missile flew about 1,100km (680 miles), before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, the military said Seoul “strengthened surveillance and vigilance” for any more launches.
The missile appeared to have fallen into the water, according to Japan. Seoul was “in close coordination with the US and Japan” about the launch, the South’s military added.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the missile landed outside its exclusive economic zone and that there were no reports of damage to vessels or aircraft.
Both Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul condemned the launch at a joint news conference, with Washington’s top diplomat calling it “another violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions”.
