US was not aware in advance of South Korea martial law decision, Blinken says

By Humeyra Pamuk

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The United States was not aware that South Korea’s president intended to declare martial law, U.S. Secretary State Antony Blinken told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that he anticipated speaking to his South Korean counterpart in the coming days.

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night to thwart “anti-state forces” among his domestic political opponents, but rescinded the decision hours later after a chaotic standoff between parliament and the army.

Speaking in an interview with Reuters in Brussels on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Blinken said it was vital that the process from now on play out peacefully and according to the rule of law in South Korea.

“South Korean democracy is one of the most powerful stories anywhere in the world. It’s very important that any disputes, differences, political differences, be resolved peacefully and pursuant to the rule of law. That’s what we’re seeing now. That’s what’s so important to sustain,” Blinken said.

Washington had not been informed about Yoon’s decision beforehand, he said.

“No, that’s correct. We were not aware,” he said, while objecting to any suggestion that this may have been an intelligence gap by Washington.

“We are certainly not routinely informed of every decision that any partner may be making anywhere around the world at any given time,” he said.

Yoon’s surprise declaration created the most serious challenge to South Korea’s democracy since the 1980s and was unanimously voted down by 190 lawmakers in the parliament. Protesters gathered outside parliament, and Yoon’s own party urged him to lift the decree.

Blinken declined to say whether he thought the martial law decision was justified or not.

“I’m not going to get into the decisions that were made, political decisions that were made in South Korea,” Blinken said.

“What’s important now is to see this process play out peacefully and according to the constitution of the rule of law.”

The crisis in a country that has been a democracy since the 1980s, and is a U.S. ally and major Asian economy, caused international alarm. Around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.