North Korea fired a suspected medium-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea, coinciding with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea.

The missile, launched from Pyongyang, traveled about 684 miles before landing outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Blinken condemned the launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions and emphasized the importance of U.S.-South Korea-Japan cooperation in deterrence.

Japan also strongly protested, calling the repeated launches a grave threat to regional security, ABC News has reported.

The incident highlights North Korea’s advancing missile capabilities and the ongoing need for strengthened regional alliances.

Written by B.C. Begley