South Korea says DPRK fired ballistic missile as Blinken visits Seoul
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South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the DPRK "fired an unspecified ballistic missile toward the East Sea."
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A TV screen shows a file image of the DPRK's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The South Korean military reported that the DPRK fired a ballistic missile on Monday, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul to meet top officials and attend a summit.
Blinken is in Seoul for the third Summit for Democracy, an initiative of US President Joe Biden, which the South is hosting this week, and is set to meet his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines for talks.
Key security allies Washington and Seoul wrapped up one of their major annual joint military training exercises last week, prompting tit-for-tat drills from Pyongyang.
The DPRK "fired an unspecified ballistic missile toward the East Sea," Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan also confirmed the launch, with the Japan Coast Guard saying the objects appeared to have already fallen.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said the United States condemns the missile launches, adding that Washington's commitment to South Korea's defense remained "ironclad".
The launch comes just days after the annual Freedom Shield drills, which this year involved double the number of troops, ended Thursday.
Pyongyang this month warned that Seoul and Washington would pay a "dear price" over the 11-day Freedom Shield drills, and later announced that DPRK leader Kim Jong Un had guided an artillery unit it says was capable of striking the South Korean capital.
The DPRK has long condemned joint US-South Korea military drills, considering them rehearsals for an invasion.
Monday's ballistic missile test is Pyongyang's second this year after it launched one tipped with a maneuverable hypersonic warhead on January 14.
Blinken landed Sunday afternoon ahead of the summit, which runs from March 18 to 20 and will bring together government officials, NGOs, and civil society members.
After Seoul, Blinken will head to the Philippines to reaffirm "our unwavering commitment to the Philippine ally," according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
