U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to revoke the state of emergency declared earlier this week.
In a statement on Tuesday, Blinken expressed hope that political disagreements in South Korea would be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.
U.S. Monitors Situation in South Korea
The U.S. has been closely monitoring the situation in South Korea after President Yoon announced the state of emergency on Tuesday evening, citing the need to protect the country from North Korean communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements. However, the state of emergency was quickly reversed hours later after South Korea’s parliament voted against it and protesters gathered outside the National Assembly.
U.S. officials expressed deep concern and actively engaged with their South Korean counterparts in Washington and Seoul, gathering facts and evaluating the situation on the ground. “We were not informed in advance of President Yoon’s decision,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press briefing. Patel also noted that there had been no specific information regarding threats from North Korea in the last 24 hours.
U.S. Embassy in Seoul Cautions American Citizens
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul canceled its regular consular appointments with U.S. citizens and visa applicants on Wednesday. The embassy also urged American citizens in South Korea to stay informed through local news, follow official instructions, avoid protest zones, and exercise caution near large gatherings or demonstrations, as even peaceful protests could escalate unexpectedly.
U.S. Officials Express Concern
Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, stated earlier on Tuesday that the U.S. was following the developments in South Korea with “deep concern” and hoped that any political disagreements would be resolved peacefully and according to the rule of law.
U.S. President Joe Biden, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been briefed on the developments in Seoul. Biden, while traveling to Luanda, Angola, for his first trip to Africa as president, was informed of the latest developments in South Korea.
No Significant Impact on U.S. Troops in South Korea
At a Pentagon press briefing, spokesperson Patrick Ryder stated that the declaration of a state of emergency would not significantly affect the approximately 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. He added that U.S. and South Korean military officials are in contact, but there has been no request for assistance from Seoul.
Political Tensions in South Korea
President Yoon Suk Yeol initially declared the state of emergency on Tuesday evening, vowing to eliminate “anti-state forces” while battling an opposition that controls the country’s parliament, accusing it of sympathizing with communist North Korea. Less than three hours later, the South Korean parliament voted to reject the state of emergency declaration. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Woo Won Shik, declared the decision void and emphasized that lawmakers would stand with the people to protect democracy.
President Yoon had previously stated that opposition parties had obstructed the parliamentary process. He vowed to root out “shameless anti-state forces pro-North Korea” and insisted that the only solution was to take action to protect constitutional order.
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