The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a ballistic missile on Monday, according to South Korea's military, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Seoul for talks with top South Korean officials.

South Korea’s military reported that the DPRK "sent unknown ballistic missile towards the East Sea," also known as the Sea of Japan.

The missile test occurred while Blinken was meeting with South Korea’s acting president and foreign minister before heading to Japan. The missile appeared to have fallen into the sea, with the Japanese defense ministry and coast guard both confirming the missile's trajectory in separate statements.

This marks the DPRK's first missile test of the year, following a November launch of what it said was its most advanced solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 

In response to the DPRK's missile launch, South Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea as a show of force.

South Korea has been embroiled in a political crisis in recent weeks, particularly after President Yoon Suk Yeol's announcement of a short-lived martial law decree on December 3. The DPRK state media commented last week, stating that the South was in “chaos” and politically paralyzed over an investigation into an arrest warrant for Yoon.

The missile test also marked the first since President-elect Donald Trump won re-election in November, as the US and South Korea have been increasingly strengthening their military ties. 

DPRK announces tough strategy on 'reactionary' US

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The DPRK has announced the adoption of "an extremely tough response strategy towards the US," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The declaration was made during an expanded plenary session of the Workers' Party of Korea's central committee, held from December 23 to 27.

The session, chaired by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, reviewed the year’s political outcomes and charted the country’s priorities for the upcoming year. In his address, Kim emphasized the necessity of the strategy, stating it was vital to "protect North Korea’s future state interests and ensure its security."

KCNA reported Kim’s pointed criticism of the US, describing it as "the most reactionary state" due to its entrenched anti-communist policies. The DPRK leader condemned the expanding alliance between the US, Japan, and South Korea, referring to it as an "aggressive nuclear military bloc." He further criticized South Korea’s role, labeling it a "consistent anti-communist outpost for the US."

Kim also lauded what he termed "landmark achievements" in enhancing the nation's defense capabilities. The session outlined plans for an assertive foreign policy, which, according to KCNA, will align with the country's strategic goals and security needs.

Diplomacy reveals US hostility

Kim had in November declared that past diplomatic efforts with the United States only revealed Washington's "unchanging" hostility toward Pyongyang, according to state media reports.

His comments came months before Donald Trump was expected to return to the White House.

During his presidency, Trump met with Kim three times, but little progress was made toward efforts to denuclearize the DPRK. Since the collapse of their second summit in Hanoi in 2019, DPRK has abandoned diplomacy, focusing instead on advancing its weapons programs.

Speaking at a defense exhibition showcasing the DPRK's advanced weaponry, Kim refrained from mentioning Trump directly but referred to the last high-level talks held during his administration.

"We have already gone as far as we can go with the United States as negotiators," Kim stated, according to the KCNA, adding, "What we became certain of is not the willingness of a great power to coexist."

Instead, Kim said, Pyongyang came to understand Washington's "thorough stance of power and an unchanging, invasive, and hostile policy toward North Korea."