North Korea has launched its first ballistic missile in two months, South Korea’s military reported on Monday. The missile, believed to be of intermediate range, traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before plunging into the sea east of the Korean peninsula. The launch has been condemned by Seoul as a “clear act of provocation.”
This development coincides with the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to South Korea, where he engaged in high-level discussions with South Korean officials, including acting president Choi Sang-mok. Blinken reaffirmed the alliance between Washington and Seoul as a “cornerstone of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
South Korea has heightened its military surveillance in response and is sharing intelligence on the launch with both the U.S. and Japan. The missile test adds to growing tensions in a region already fraught with political unrest and uncertainty.
Domestically, South Korea is grappling with political chaos following the suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon was impeached in December after his controversial martial law declaration, which was widely criticized as an overreach of power. As Yoon awaits a court decision on his potential removal from office, he also faces possible arrest. North Korea mocked Yoon’s martial law attempt, calling it an “insane act” and accusing him of fostering a “fascist dictatorship.”
The missile launch marks Pyongyang’s first test since November, when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles ahead of the U.S. presidential election. That provocation followed a U.S. show of military strength, which included flying a long-range bomber during trilateral drills with South Korea and Japan. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, condemned those drills as a direct threat.
North Korea’s missile tests are often interpreted as attempts to pressure the U.S. and its allies to ease sanctions and recognize its status as a nuclear power. As regional powers brace for further provocations, the launch underscores the fragile security landscape on the Korean Peninsula.
