US, South Korea condemn North Korea missile launch

North Korea fired a missile just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Korea, where he sought a stable course on foreign policy as political turmoil engulfs the US ally.

According to the South Korean military, North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea just as Mr Blinken was holding meetings in Seoul.

"Our military detected one projectile presumed to be a intermediate-range ballistic missile" launched toward the East Sea, South Korea's military said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

After the missile flew around 1,100km, the military said Seoul "strengthened surveillance and vigilance" for any more launches.

The missile appeared to have fallen into the water, according to Japan.

Seoul was "in close coordination with the US and Japan" about the launch, the South's military added.

Mr Blinken said that the missile launch violates UN Security Council resolutions.

"We condemn the DPRK missile launch just today, yet another violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions," Mr Blinken said during a joint news conference in Seoul, using the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The test comes two weeks before the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, who in his last term sought to woo North Korea with a unique personal diplomacy.

Mr Blinken, on the first stop of what will likely be his final trip as the top US diplomat, met acting president Choi Sang-mok, who is office just over a week, as well as Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who is not under threat of impeachment.

With noisy protests gripping Seoul and audible from Mr Blinken's hotel, he steered clear of wading into partisan politics.

Mr Blinken reiterated the "ironclad commitment" of Washington to defending South Korea and spoke with Mr Choi about "how both sides will work together to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and trilateral cooperation with Japan", a State Department statement said.

Mr Choi's office said in a statement that South Korea remained committed to the "principles and agreements from the Camp David summit".

The acting president "stated that South Korea will continue to maintain its diplomatic and security policies based on a strong Korea-US alliance and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the US and Japan", the statement said.

Changes expected under Trump

The turmoil and lack of a clear leader in Asia's fourth-largest economy comes just as the US is in the midst of its own political transition.

While Joe Biden has focused on nurturing US alliances, Mr Trump, who takes over on 20 January, has been dismissive of what he sees as unfair commitments by Washington.

Mr Trump said during his latest presidential run that if he were in power he would have strong-armed South Korea into paying $10 billion a year for the US troop presence, nearly ten times what it contributes now.

But paradoxically, Mr Trump forged a bond with the last progressive South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, who encouraged his attempts at deal-making with North Korea.

Mr Trump, who once threatened "fire and fury" against North Korea, went on to meet three times with leader Kim Jong-un and said they "fell in love".

Mr Trump's unusually personal diplomacy managed to lower tensions on the Korean peninsula but brought no lasting deal to end Pyongyang's nuclear programme.