North Korea on Monday fired a ballistic missile that flew 1,100 kilometers (685 miles) before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea’s military said, extending its weapons testing weeks before Donald Trump returns as U.

North Korea test-fired an intermediate range ballistic missile while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in South Korea.

South Korean investigators will seek an extension of a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the visiting US Secretary of State reaffirmed confidence in the key Asian ally's handling of the political turmoil.

The U.S. secretary of state aimed to show that his country stood by South Korea as it grapples with a political crisis, and as Donald J. Trump returns to power.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed confidence in South Korea’s acting leader as the two nations reaffirmed their security alliance in the face of the ongoing challenges posed by North Korea at a time when Seoul is struggling to restore political stability.