The launch event came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks with South Korean allies over the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues.

The launch event came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks with South Korean allies over the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues.

North Korea fired what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile out to sea on Monday, coinciding with a visit by U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul during a period of political turmoil in South Korea.

South Korea's government said on Monday it will extend the shutdown of Muan International Airport by a week to Jan. 14, citing the ongoing investigation into the crash of a Jeju Air jet that killed 179 passengers on board.

After overcoming pariah status at the end of the last century, South Korea must learn what caused the catastrophe on Dec. 29 and what lessons to draw from it.

South Korean authorities have extended the closure of a southwestern airport where a Jeju Air plane crashed and killed 179 people onboard, the land ministry said Monday. The closure of Muan International Airport has been extended until January 14,