North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea on Monday for the first time in two months, just as the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Seoul to attend President Yoon Suk Yeol's summit on fostering democracy.
According to South Korea's military, the missile was fired east of the Korean peninsula. The Japan Coast Guard also reported that North Korea had launched what seemed to be a ballistic missile, which had already fallen.
Japan later stated that it spotted what seemed to be the North's second ballistic missile launch, which also fell beyond its exclusive economic zone.
In recent weeks, North Korea's military has been conducting conventional weapons drills, which are typically personally overseen by the isolated state's leader, Kim Jong Un.
Pyongyang's show of might comes as the militaries of South Korea and the United States conducted large-scale annual joint military maneuvers for ten days, which ended last Thursday.
On Sunday, the South Korean military mobilized marines, attack helicopters, and amphibious assault vehicles in drills aimed at increasing soldier numbers to strengthen western islands near North Korea's maritime border, which were bombarded by the North in 2010.
Mr. Blinken is one of several prominent officials from across the world attending South Korea's Summit for Democracy meeting, which begins on Monday. He will also meet with his South Korean colleague.
The summit is an initiative of the United States. President Joe Biden sought to address measures to prevent democratic backsliding and the degradation of rights and freedoms throughout the world.
North Korea launched its most recent ballistic missile on January 14 to test new booster engines and a maneuverable warhead.
