SEOUL: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a North Korean missile test carried out during his visit to Seoul on Monday (Jan 6) was a reminder of the need to deepen Washington’s cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter an emboldened Pyongyang.
North Korea fired what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile at around noon, which flew more than 1,100km east before falling into the sea, according to South Korea’s military.
Speaking a few hours later, Blinken told a news conference the launch underscored the importance of collaboration between the US, South Korea and Japan, including on sharing real-time missile data and holding trilateral military exercises.
“Today’s launch is just a reminder to all of us of how important our collaborative work is,” he said.
Blinken also warned of Pyongyang’s deepening ties with Moscow. He said Washington believed Russia intended to share space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for its support for the Ukraine war, in which more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.
President Joe Biden, who leaves office this month, made headway in deepening trilateral cooperation between the US and South Korea and Japan, despite historic issues that have often plagued relations between the Asian neighbours.
But political turmoil in South Korea, together with the imminent return of the unpredictable rule of Donald Trump in the United States, has raised questions over whether those efforts can be sustained.
