North Korea tests missile as Blinken visits South Korea amid political crisis
North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Monday while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Korea to proclaim “full confidence” in the country’s institutions amid an ongoing political crisis.
The missile appeared to be an intermediate range ballistic missile, which has a range of up to 3,400 miles, according to the Arms Control Association. It took off at noon local time and flew nearly 700 miles before it crashed into the waters between Japan and North Korea.
North Korea test-launched a ballistic missile nearly 700 miles on Monday.
In a joint news conference with South Korea’s foreign minister hours after the missile took off, Blinken condemned the launch as “yet another violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
The U.S. has offered to talk with North Korean leaders repeatedly in public and private, “and the only response effectively we’ve gotten has been more and more provocative actions, including the missile launches,” he added.
South Korea’s political crisis continues
Blinken’s visit to South Korea comes as more than a month of political turmoil has roiled the country after now-suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law on Dec. 3 before sharply reversing the decree hours later in response to backlash from parliament and public protests.
On Friday, authorities tried unsuccessfully to arrest Yoon in a standoff with his presidential guard and military security service that stretched on for six hours. Yoon filed a complaint and injunction to challenge the warrant for his arrest, arguing that investigators do not have the constitutional authority to detain him.
Yoon was impeached twice last month. Although he remains in office, his presidential powers were suspended while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over as acting president.
Blinken told reporters on Sunday the U.S. has “full confidence in South Korea’s institutions.”
South Korean democracy “has been tested in recent weeks, just as American democracy has faced challenges throughout our history,” he said, adding, “we reaffirm our unwavering support for the (South) Korean people as they work tirelessly to uphold those institutions.”
North Korea has fired missiles that could reach U.S.
North Korea has test launched longer-range missiles. Last October, it fired off an intercontinental ballistic missile that stayed airborne for 86 minutes – the longest time of its test fires yet.
Although it flew for less distance than the missile fired on Monday, the height of its launch angle indicated it could have flown thousands more miles and, theoretically, hit U.S. soil.
Credit: USA TODAY
