North Korea fires missiles as Antony Blinken lands in Seoul

SEOUL, March 18

North Korea fired ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday for the first time in two months, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul for a conference hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korea’s military said several short-range missiles flew about 300 km (186 miles) from Pyongyang, the North’s capital, landing off the east coast. It condemned the launches as a “clear provocation” and said it was sharing information on them with the US and Japan.

The US State Department also condemned the launches, saying they violated several UNSC resolutions. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the launches after his country’s coast guard also reported the firing of what it said appeared to be a ballistic missile. — Reuters