North Korea launches missile during US secretary of state's visit to Seoul
www.pravda.com.ua
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 09:53:45 +0200
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that North Koreas launch of a mediumrange missile during his visit to Seoul on Monday, 5 January, serves as a reminder of the need to deepen Washingtons cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter an increasingly aggressive Pyongyang.
Source European Pravda with reference to Reuters Details According to South Korean military reports, North Korea launched a mediumrange ballistic missile around noon 0300 GMT that flew over 1,100 kilometres eastward and landed in the sea.
Speaking at a press conference a few hours later, Blinken emphasised that the launch underscored the importance of collaboration between the US, South Korea and Japan, including realtime missile data sharing and conducting trilateral military drills.
Todays launch is just a reminder to all of us of how important our collaborative work is, he said.
Blinken also warned of North Koreas growing ties with Moscow.
He said Washington believes that Russia intends to share space and satellite technologies with North Korea in exchange for its support in the war against Ukraine.
President Joe Biden, who is leaving office this month, has made progress in deepening trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan, despite historical tensions that often complicated relations between the Asian neighbours.
However, political turmoil in South Korea and the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House have raised doubts about the continuity of such efforts.
Mondays launch marked the first since 5 November, when Pyongyang fired at least seven shortrange ballistic missiles.
It was not immediately clear what type of missile was launched, but last years North Korean mediumrange ballistic missile tests demonstrated a new solidfuel design. North Korea has stated that it is working to make all of its missiles solidfuelled.
Solidfuel missiles do not require fuelling immediately before launch, are often simpler and safer to operate and require less logistical support, making them harder to detect and more survivable than liquidfuel weapons.
Background US intelligence agencies believe that the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia was initiated by North Korea rather than Russia.
The Pentagon predicts an increase in casualties among the North Korean military, which continues to take part in the fighting in Kursk Oblast.
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