US high-level officials were caught off-guard when President Yoon Suk Yeol made an un-expected move to declare martial law in South Korea; the decision came with zero warning to Washington
Kurt Campbell‚ US Deputy Secretary of State pointed out that even SK government members - including foreign minister finance minister and presidential office staff - didnt know about the plan: this shows how un-coordinated the whole situation was
The declaration which happened just a couple days ago (targeting what Yoon called anti-state forces) lasted only a few hours before being taken back. Jake Sullivan‚ Bidens national security adviser‚ mentioned that US officials learned about it just like everyone else — through TV broadcasts
This was a deeply problematic and illegitimate process
The US which keeps about 28‚500 troops in South Korea finds itself in a tough spot: SK officials are now dealing with an impeachment motion against Yoon. The situation brings back not-so-good memories of past martial law times in the country
Despite deep political divide in South Korea both sides agreed that Yoons actions crossed a line — showing how strong democratic values are in the nation. US diplomats say they will keep working to show that US-SK partnership stays solid no matter what
The whole thing puts SK in a difficult position for next months but its worth noting that:
- Local lawmakers stood up against the declaration
- Public opinion turned against it fast
- Democratic processes worked as intended
- Both political sides found common ground