President Joe Biden’s administration has yet to weigh in on the political crisis unfolding in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law after he claimed progressive political parties were threatening the Korean constitution.
This is a developing story.
Yoon declared martial law, claiming the move was intended to "crush anti-state forces that have been wreaking havoc."
Moreover, President Yoon claimed martial law was necessary to defend against North Korean influence.
Shortly following the martial law order, the Korean National Assembly, led by the opposition party, voted to lift martial law. Only 190 lawmakers, mostly from the opposition, voted out of 300.
Following the vote, Yoon has reportedly committed to ending the martial law order.
President Biden has yet to comment on the situation, but the State Department explained it was watching the events closely.
“Our hope is that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully,” said State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel.
While it remains unclear why Yoon instated martial law, tensions between South and North Korea have heightened during Biden’s administration, especially given North Korea’s nuclear programs.
According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, in 2022 alone, North Korea launched more than 40 missile tests, announced a new law in 2022 making its nuclear-armed status “irreversible”, and prohibited talks on denuclearization.
Republicans have compared North Korea’s current nuclear aggressions in response to American Presence in Korea to ex-President Donald Trump’s royal treatment by Kim-Jung-Un.
When the 45th President arrived in Korea, the North Korean leader greeted Trump himself and invited him to visit the country, making Trump the first American President to officially visit North Korea.
