The United States condemned North Korea on Monday for launching a ballistic missile, coinciding with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to South Korea. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that "these launches, similar to previous ballistic missile launches in recent years, violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions," emphasizing that these operations "threaten" North Korea's neighbors and "undermine regional security."
The spokesperson added, "We remain committed to a diplomatic approach and call on North Korea for dialogue," while also affirming that "our commitment to defend Japan and South Korea remains steadfast."
On Monday, North Korea launched an unspecified ballistic missile, according to the South Korean military. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that "North Korea launched an unspecified ballistic missile toward the East Sea," referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan, without providing further details.
Blinken stated on Monday that technology should be used to uphold democratic standards in the face of authoritarian and oppressive regimes' efforts to exploit technology to undermine democracy and human rights. He made these remarks at the opening of a Summit for Democracy in South Korea. Blinken is participating in the "Summit for Democracy," an initiative by U.S. President Joe Biden hosted in Seoul from Monday to Wednesday, with governmental officials, NGOs, and civil society members in attendance.
In brief remarks during the summit's opening, Blinken stated, "Our democracies cannot serve the interests of the few; rather, they must include everyone."
