On December 5, 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US was not informed in advance of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s intention to declare martial law. Blinken plans to hold a call with the South Korean Foreign Minister in the coming days.
President Yoon Suk-yeol announced the implementation of martial law on the night of December 3, citing the threat posed by “pro-North Korea anti-national forces” in the parliament. However, the martial law order was lifted six hours later due to opposition in the parliament, causing international uproar.
“We were not informed,” Blinken said. “We certainly don’t regularly know about every decision our partners make anywhere in the world at any time.”
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, stated that South Korea did not seek the opinion of the United States in any way regarding Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement of martial law.
“We learned about this news through a public statement on television, like people in other parts of the world,” he said. “We are deeply concerned about this martial law order.”
Sullivan said, “This quite dramatic announcement… has raised global alertness, including in Washington,” but subsequent developments showed that South Korea’s democratic system was functioning normally and played a role in handling the situation.
Sullivan stated, “South Korea’s democratic system is robust and resilient, and we will continue to publicly voice our concerns and privately engage with our South Korean counterparts to emphasize the importance of this.”
Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration represents the most serious challenge to South Korean democracy since the 1980s and was vetoed by 190 lawmakers in the parliament. Protesters gathered outside the parliament, and Yoon’s party urged him to revoke the order.
Some analysts believe that the martial law was not solely triggered by external threats but was a decision made by Yoon Suk-yeol due to political predicaments.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated on Wednesday that President Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement of martial law was a “serious misjudgment” and was regarded as “problematic” and “illegal.”
When asked about whether Washington failed to notice the martial law in South Korea and if there were intelligence leaks, Campbell, speaking at a strategic forum event at the Aspen Institute, said that almost every contact from South Korea with the US, including officials from the president’s office, were “deeply surprised” by Yoon’s actions.
Campbell said that the events in South Korea were highly unexpected, with characteristics of “highly uncertain” and “unlikely to happen.”
“I think President Yoon seriously misjudged it, and I think the deeply negative repercussions of past martial law experiences in Korea are deeply felt,” Campbell stated.
He mentioned that despite political polarization and division in South Korea, the fact that both major parties unanimously agreed that the martial law measure was “problematic” demonstrated the strength of South Korea’s democratic system, which he found reassuring.
Campbell said that the joint stance of the two major parties in South Korea against martial law was a powerful symbol, indicating people were ready to stand up and showing that the process was highly unlawful. He also predicted strong opposition from the public against this measure.
Campbell emphasized that South Korea will face a “challenging situation” in the coming months, and the US’s goal is to clearly convey that its relationship with South Korea is “as solid as a rock.”
He mentioned, “Almost all contacts from South Korea with the US – the Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, and many key individuals we work with in the President’s office… were deeply surprised by Yoon Suk-yeol’s decision.”