Foreign Minister Blinken Says The United States Is Not Aware Of South Korea's Military Emergency Announcement Plan

JAKARTA - The United States does not know that the President of South Korea intends to declare a military emergency, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

Speaking in an interview in Brussels, Belgium on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministerial meeting, Foreign Minister Blinken said it was very important that the process began now running peacefully and in accordance with the laws in South Korea, Washington's main ally.

"South Korean democracy is one of the greatest stories in the world. It is imperative that every dispute, difference, political difference, be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. That's what we see now. That's very important to maintain," Foreign Minister Blinken told Reuters, as quoted December 5.

He further said the United States, which has about 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea, had not been notified of President Yoon's previous decision.

"No, that's true. We don't know about it," he said, denying every assumption that this might be an intelligence gap by Washington.

"We certainly don't routinely be informed of any decisions that any partner around the world might make at any given time," he said.

Separately, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank the United States was not consulted in any way.

"We are aware of this from the announcement on television, just like what the whole world is doing," he said.

"This declaration of martial law raises deep concern for us," Sullivan added.

He said "a quite dramatic announcement raises signs of danger everywhere, including in Washington," but subsequent events have shown a functioning "process and procedure" of democracy.

"South Korea's democracy is strong and resilient, and we will continue to speak in public and engage privately with South Korean partners to emphasize the importance of it continuing," Sullivan said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night to thwart "anti-state forces" among his domestic political opponents, but overturned the decision hours later after lawmakers confronted him.

President Yoon's announcement poses the most serious challenge to South Korean democracy since the 1980s and has been unanimously rejected by 190 lawmakers. Protesters gathered outside parliament, while the party supporting the president urged him to revoke the decree.

Foreign Minister Blinken declined to say whether he thought the military emergency decision could be justified or not.

"I will not discuss the decisions that have been made, political decisions made in South Korea," he said.

"The important thing now is to see this process take place peacefully and in accordance with the constitution of the state of law," added Foreign Minister Blinken.