North Korea has fired what appears to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea to the east, South Korea's military said, the first missile launch from Pyongyang in two months.
The missile flew 1,100 km before falling into the sea, the military said, adding that it “strongly condemns” this “blatant act of provocation”.
The launch comes as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits Seoul for talks with some of South Korea's key leaders.
Earlier on Monday, Blinken met with acting President Choi Sang-mok, where he described the alliance between Washington and Seoul as “a cornerstone of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
South Korea's military says it has stepped up surveillance for future missile launches from North Korea and is “closely sharing information” about today's launch with the US and Japan.
Today's launch also comes amid political chaos in South Korea, which has gripped the country for weeks after it ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol a short-lived attempt at martial law in December.
Yun, who was stripped of his presidential powers after lawmakers voted to impeach him, now faces arrest. The Constitutional Court is also debating whether to remove him from office.
Pyongyang previously mocked Yun Kao's shocking declaration of martial law “foolish act” and accused Yun of “brazenly brandishing the blades and weapons of a fascist dictatorship against his own people.”
The international community considers North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a dictator. The Kim family has ruled the hermit nation for decades, developing and fostering a personality cult.
The last time Pyongyang fired missiles was in November, a day before the US presidential election, when it fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.
Earlier this week, the US flew a long-range bomber during trilateral military exercises with South Korea and Japan in a show of force, drawing condemnation from Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong.