North Korea tests ballistic missile during Blinken's visit to Seoul
Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Getty Images)
North Korea's recent missile test serves as a reminder of the necessity for deepening cooperation between Washington, South Korea, and Japan to deter the increasingly bold actions of Pyongyang, Reuters reports.
According to South Korea's military, North Korea launched what is likely an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on January 6, which traveled over 1,100 kilometers east before falling into the sea.
Speaking a few hours later at a press conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the launch underscores the importance of collaboration between the US, South Korea, and Japan, particularly regarding real-time missile data sharing and conducting trilateral military exercises.
"Today's launch is a reminder to all of us of how important our collective work is," Blinken said.
The US Secretary of State also warned of the risks of deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. Blinken stated that Washington believes Russia intends to share space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for its support in the war in Ukraine, where more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.
Last month, South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol and remove him from office after he declared a state of emergency on December 3, which shocked the nation. The impeachment process is currently being heard in the Constitutional Court.
During the press conference, Blinken, who also met with Acting President Choi Sang-mok, stated that while Washington has "serious concerns" about Yoon's actions, it remains confident in the country's institutions and democratic resilience.
If Yoon is ultimately removed from office, presidential elections will be scheduled, and liberals believed to have the best chance of winning, have criticized Yoon's efforts to strengthen ties with Tokyo.
The launch was the first for Pyongyang since November 5, when it launched at least seven short-range ballistic missiles.
It is still unclear which type of missile was launched. Still, last year, North Korea's IRBM tests showed a new solid-fuel design, which, according to Pyongyang, carries a hypersonic glide vehicle, a warhead designed to be able to maneuver and evade missile defenses.
North Korea has announced that it is working on making its missiles of all ranges solid fuel. Solid-fuel missiles do not require fueling immediately before launch, are often simpler and safer to operate, and require less logistical support. This makes them more difficult to detect and more survivable than liquid-fuel weapons.
