The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated today that the missile test carried out by North Korea during his visit to Seoul it is a reminder of the need for Washington to deepen its cooperation with South Korea and Japan in order to deter Pyongyang.

North Korea fired what was believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile at around noon (05:00 GMT) today, traveling more than 1,100 kilometers to the east before crashing into the sea, according to its military. South Korea.

Speaking hours later, Blinken told a news conference that the launch underscored the importance of cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan, including sharing real-time missile data and conducting trilateral military exercises.

“Today’s launch is simply a reminder to all of us of how important the work of our partnership is,” said the US Secretary of State.

Blinken also warned against Pyongyang’s deepening ties with Moscow. He said Washington believes Russia plans to share space and satellite technologies with North Korea in exchange for its support in the Ukraine war, where more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.

President Joe Biden, who leaves office this month, has sought to deepen trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and Japan, despite historical issues that often strain relations between the Asian countries.

But political turmoil in South Korea, along with the imminent return of an unpredictable Donald Trump administration to the US, raises questions about whether these efforts can continue.

South Korean lawmakers voted last month to impeach President Yoon Seok-gil, who has been suspended from office since his failed attempt to declare martial law on December 3. The Constitutional Court is expected to rule on whether he will indeed be removed from office. If Yun is permanently removed from office, a presidential election would have to be held, and liberals — seen as the likely winners of such an election — have criticized Yun’s efforts to forge partnerships with Tokyo.

Blinken, who also met today with the country’s acting president Choi Sang-mok, told a news conference that while Washington had “grave concerns” about Yun’s actions, he had confidence in the country’s institutions and democratic resilience.

Today’s launch was Pyongyang’s first since November 5 when it launched at least seven short-range ballistic missiles. It was not immediately clear what type of missile was fired.