North Korea Fires Intermediate-Range Missile into Sea of Japan Amid Blinken's Seoul Visit

Jan 6, 2025, 06:46 AM

North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, marking its first missile launch of 2025. The launch occurred during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul, South Korea, where he was meeting with Acting President Choi Sang-mok and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. The missile, launched around noon local time, traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before landing in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Blinken condemned the launch as a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and emphasized the need for strengthened cooperation between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan in response to North Korea's actions. The launch comes amidst political turmoil in South Korea following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who had declared martial law in December.