The White House said Tuesday that it was “monitoring” the situation in South Korea after the president of the close U.S. ally suddenly declared martial law.
The Biden administration had no immediate substantive comment on the shocking announcement by unpopular President Yoon Suk Yeol, which led to chaotic late-night scenes in Seoul as opposition lawmakers voted to oppose the measure.
“The administration is in contact with the [South Korean] government and is monitoring the situation closely,” a spokesman for the White House National Security Council said.
After several hours of protests overnight, Yoon said in a predawn statement that he would reverse the martial law declaration, but offered scant details.
A State Department spokesman said the U.S. did not receive any advance warning of the announcement.
President Biden, who is on a state visit to the oil-rich southern African nation of Angola, told reporters, “I was just informed about this,” but he had no further comment.
President-elect Donald Trump also did not immediately respond to the surprise announcement.
Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who will be the first U.S. senator of Korean descent, denounced the martial law declaration and praised the South Korean legislature for standing up to Yoon.
“Challenges always arise, but they must be solved through a democratic and open process,” Kim said in a statement. “Declaring martial law … undermined the fundamental foundation of governance. .. and dramatically increased South Korea’s fragility.”
South Korean lawmakers voted minutes into Tuesday to reverse the martial law declaration.
Crowds gathered on the streets of Seoul as temperatures dipped toward freezing, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or mass arrests.
Yoon declared martial law earlier Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against the opposition, which controls the legislature.
He accuses his political rivals of sympathizing with Communist North Korea, although that seemed very unlikely.
The surprising move hearkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the Asian economic powerhouse has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by both the opposition and even the leader of Yoon’s own conservative party.
