US reaffirms 'ironclad' commitment to South Korea amid political turmoil following Yoon's impeachment

WASHINGTON: The United States reiterated its strong support for Korea, its citizens, and the country's democratic processes, hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached as President following a row over his brief declaration of martial law. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, expressed Washington's continued commitment to the US-Korea alliance, describing it as "ironclad."

In his statement, Miller emphasized the significant progress made in the bilateral relationship in recent years, highlighting the ongoing cooperation between the two nations.

"Our commitment to the US-ROK alliance is ironclad. In recent years, that Alliance has made enormous strides," he said. Miller also conveyed the United States' readiness to collaborate with acting President Han Duck-soo and the Korean government, affirming the shared interests and values that underpin the partnership.

"In recent years, that Alliance has made enormous strides, and the United States looks forward to partnering with the ROK on achieving further progress," he said. "We stand ready to continue this work with Acting President Han Duck-soo and the ROK government to advance our mutual interests and shared values," he added.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken also spoke on the political developments in South Korea. Speaking to the media in Jordan, Blinken responded to questions about the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed strong support for the Korean people and reaffirmed the US commitment to its alliance with South Korea, which remains "ironclad."

"And on events in South Korea and President Yoon, look, I think the most important thing is that the Korea has demonstrated its democratic resilience. We've seen it follow, peacefully, a process laid out in its constitution, and we're ready to work with President Han as he assumes office.

"Most important, we strongly support the Korean people. We strongly support the ironclad alliance that joins our two countries together and that's done so much over the last few years," he added.

Notably, South Korea is facing a challenging time politically since the former president's declaration of martial law, which led to his impeachment by the National Assembly on Saturday. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Assembly over his attempt to impose martial law in the country on Saturday.

The members of the unicameral National Assembly on Saturday voted 204 to 85 to impeach South Korea's President, the second such vote in eight days.

Three members of the National Assembly abstained from voting while eight votes were declared invalid. The voting was conducted through a secret ballot, with two-thirds of the vote needed for impeachment. All 300 members of the assembly cast their votes. After his impeachment, Yoon was suspended from office while South Korea's Constitutional Court deliberated his fate. South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is taking over as the interim president, as reported by Al Jazeera.