North Korea fires off ballistic missiles as top US official Blinken visits Seoul

Washington and Seoul wrapped up one of their major annual joint military training exercises last week, prompting angry retorts and live-fire drills from nuclear-armed Pyongyang, which condemns all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

Seoul’s military said it had detected the launch of “multiple short-range ballistic missiles” early on Monday, which flew around 300km (186 miles) before coming down into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

“We are closely sharing relevant information with the US and Japan and are maintaining utmost readiness,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff added.

After meeting Yoon, Blinken “condemned the … launch of ballistic missiles by the DPRK and reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to the ROK’s security,” spokesman Matthew Miller said, referring to North and South Korea by their official names.

The launches come just days after Seoul and Washington’s annual Freedom Shield drills, which this year involved double the number of troops, ended on Thursday.

“It’s a highly calculated move timing-wise by Pyongyang to fire multiple missiles to show they are capable of doing such an act even when the top US diplomat is in town,” said Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University.

North Korea typically stages missile launches “as a tit-for-tat” after US-South Korea joint drills, said Han Kwon-hee of the Korea Association of Defence Industry Studies.

Blinken’s presence only adds to their motivation, he said, as it “means more attention from Washington and adds pressure on host Seoul”.

02:07

North Korea, China vow to deepen ties as Pyongyang conducts new missile tests

Monday’s ballistic missile test is the North’s second this year, after Pyongyang launched one tipped with a