US closely watching political crisis in South Korea

Published December 27,2024

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A deepening political disaster in South Korea has not diminished the army readiness of 28,500 troops stationed within the Asian state, a U.S. official mentioned on Friday, however Washington is intently monitoring the state of affairs.

South Korea’s parliament impeached performing President Han Duck-soo on Friday, lower than two weeks after suspending President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial regulation declaration, plunging the nation additional into political chaos.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok assumed the place of performing president whereas the circumstances of Yoon and Han are thought of by the Constitutional Court.

The United States has troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War. After the martial regulation declaration this month, the U.S. and South Korea had postponed a tabletop train and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin scrapped a visit to South Korea.

A U.S. official, talking on situation of anonymity, mentioned that whereas the United States was monitoring the newest developments on Friday, there had been no impression on army readiness on the Korean peninsula.

A State Department spokesperson mentioned South Korea has peacefully adopted a course of specified by its structure, including Washington is able to work with Choi and the federal government.

“We strongly support the ironclad alliance that joins our two countries together and that’s done so much over the last few years,” the spokesperson mentioned.

The surprising imposition of martial regulation and the following political upheaval drew considerations from allies within the U.S. and Europe who had seen Yoon as a companion in efforts to counter China, Russia and North Korea.

U.S. and South Korean officers say greater than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk area to assist push again Ukrainian forces.

A thousand North Korean troops have been killed or wounded within the final week alone within the Kursk area of Russia, the White House mentioned on Friday.