North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to open a democracy summit in South Korea. The US Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the missile launch, which came days after joint military drills between the US and South Korea that Pyongyang sees as invasion rehearsals. North Korea warned of consequences for the drills and has conducted several weapons demonstrations this year.
The missile launches coincided with the opening of the Summit for Democracy, hosted by South Korea this year. Blinken and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol discussed the role of technology in promoting democracy. Blinken raised concerns about technology’s potential to undermine democracy, highlighting the recent passage of a bill in the US House of Representatives targeting the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok.
The democracy summit, an initiative of US President Joe Biden, has faced criticism in the past for its selective invitation list, with countries like Thailand and Turkey reportedly left out. The summit aims to promote democracy and address global challenges, including threats posed by authoritarian regimes. North Korea’s missile tests served as a reminder of the ongoing security concerns in the region and the complex relationship between technology, democracy, and geopolitics.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
