- North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles Monday morning.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in South Korea for a democracy summit
- These launches come against a backdrop of increased tensions on the Korean peninsula.
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
North Korea made a show of force Monday by firing short-range ballistic missiles into the sea for the first time in weeks as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Korea for a conference on advancement of democracy.
The South Korean military reported that several missiles were fired from the capital Pyongyang around 8 a.m. and traveled about 180 miles. They landed off the east coast.
He condemned the launches as a “clear provocation” and said he was sharing information about them with the United States and Japan.
The apparent test came shortly after joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea and amid concerns that North Korea was building missiles for export to Russia and the framework of his war in Ukraine.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high and North Korea recently condemned joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises as “reckless” and part of an invasion plot.
In South Korea, people watch North Korean missile launches on television. These apparent tests have been condemned by the United States, Japan and South Korea.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center left, and his daughter inspect the training of Korean People’s Army airborne units in North Korea on Friday, March 15 2024.
The US State Department also spoke out on Monday on the launches carried out by Kim Jong Un’s secretive regime, saying they violated several United Nations Security Council resolutions and posed a threat to the region.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said three missiles were launched and traveled to a maximum altitude of about 30 miles.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting after his country’s coast guard also reported the firing of what it said appeared to be a ballistic missile and clarified that it had already completed its flight.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said the North had tested a new type of short-range missile in recent weeks amid fears it could be aimed at Russia.
“It is not clear whether the missiles are intended to reinforce the front line or to be exported to Russia,” he told a news conference.
“But it is very likely that they were carrying out final performance checks before exporting them to Russia.”
North Korean leader Kim was one of the few world leaders to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin after he claimed victory in a staged election.
“I will firmly join with you as we respond to the demands of our times to mark a new turning point in the Russian-DPRK (North Korean) friendship, which has long historical roots and traditions, and to move forward towards building “a strong nation,” he added. he reportedly said in a message to Putin.
Shortly after the missile launch, Blinken met with South Korea’s president and foreign minister for discussions on North Korea and the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
A South Korean K1A2 tank fires during a joint live-fire exercise as part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States at a military training ground in Pocheon, Korea from South.
Members of the South Korean Army’s Special Warfare Command prepare for their military training with the US Special Operations Command
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the third Democracy Summit in Seoul
He also used the third Democracy Summit to highlight the need to ensure that developments in artificial intelligence and other technologies support democratic values.
“Revitalizing democracy will also require us to shape a technological future that is inclusive, respects rights and aims to advance people’s lives,” he said.
“As authoritarian and repressive regimes deploy technologies to undermine democracy and human rights, we must ensure that technology upholds and upholds democratic values and norms.”
The United States has approximately 80,000 troops in South Korea and Japan.
Two weeks ago, US and South Korean forces launched a joint exercise, angering Pyongyang.
In a statement carried by state media, North Korea’s Defense Ministry said it “strongly denounces the reckless military exercises of the United States and South Korea, which further demonstrate their military threat to a sovereign state and attempt to invade it.