This file photo, taken March 18, shows Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken having a luncheon meeting at the foreign ministry in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the lifting of martial law in South Korea and expressed his expectation for the Asian country’s “democratic process to prevail” during a call with his counterpart in Seoul on Thursday, his spokesperson said.
Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held the talks as the National Assembly is moving to vote on an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law late Tuesday and reversed it hours later following the legislature’s passage of a resolution to overturn it.
“Secretary Blinken expressed deep concerns about the declaration of martial law in the ROK and welcomed the lifting of martial law following a unanimous vote at the National Assembly,” Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, said in a statement. ROK stands for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.
“The Secretary conveyed his confidence in the democratic resilience of the ROK during this period, and noted he expects the ROK’s democratic process to prevail,” he added.
Blinken also reaffirmed the U.S.’ commitment to the bilateral alliance remains “ironclad,” and that the “American people stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the Republic of Korea and will continue to do so in the face of any provocations or threats to the alliance,” according to Miller.
“Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the progress made in the bilateral relationship, including the robust trilateral partnership with Japan, which promotes our shared values and the prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific,” Miller added.
Blinken expressed a strong hope that all political differences would be resolved peacefully and through democratic procedures, according to a separate press release by South Korea’s foreign ministry.
The minister and the secretary agreed to maintain close communication across various levels between the two sides, the ministry said.
The call came amid growing concerns that in the aftermath of the short-lived martial law imposition, coordination between Seoul and Washington over North Korean threats and other issues could weaken.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reportedly scrapped a plan to travel to South Korea, while Seoul and Washington have postponed a session of the Nuclear Consultative Group, the allies’ key nuclear deterrence talks, and a related exercise originally set for earlier this week. (Yonhap)
