When the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was passed by the National Assembly, the U.S. government said it appreciates the resilience of Korean democracy and is ready to work with the acting president.
U.S. media have expressed concern that they may not be able to respond quickly to the launch of the second Trump administration, saying that the risk of a leadership vacuum remains in the aftermath of the impeachment.
Connect to Washington. Correspondent Hong Sang-hee
[Reporter]
Yes, it's Washington.
[Anchor]
You gave the U.S. government a position on passing the impeachment bill, right?
[Reporter]
Yes. On the morning of the 14th, local time, the White House first announced its official position.
The White House National Security Council, the NSC, said it appreciates the resilience of South Korea's democracy and rule of law in the name of a spokesperson when asked in a written inquiry by YTN about its position on the impeachment of Yoon.
He also stressed that the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is as strong as iron, and that the U.S. is committed to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
As has been emphasized since the outbreak of martial law, the American people have said they will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Korean people.
The White House's response came quickly compared to the time when the impeachment motion was canceled a week ago.
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken has also expressed the same stance on passing the impeachment motion and said he will work with new leadership.
Blinken, who is visiting Jordan to discuss the process of establishing Syria's next government, told a news conference that when asked about his position on passing the impeachment motion by the South Korean parliament, he proved South Korea's democratic resilience.
Listen to Secretary Blinken for yourself.
[Secretary of State Tony Blinken]: Most importantly, South Korea has shown democratic resilience. We have witnessed Korea peacefully following the procedures laid down in the Constitution and are ready to work with Acting President Han Deok-soo.
[Anchor]
The U.S. media, which had shown great interest since the martial law crisis, also heavily dealt with the passing of the impeachment bill, right?
[Reporter]
The U.S. media is still paying attention to political uncertainty in South Korea, along with news of the aftermath of the impeachment motion.
First, the Associated Press reported that President Yoon rose from political obscurity to the peak of power, but faced a shocking downfall.
CNN evaluated President Yoon's emergency gambling as a failure, predicting that political uncertainty in South Korea will continue for several months.
According to the law, Prime Minister Han Deok-soo will become acting president in the future, but Prime Minister Han could also be investigated in relation to emergency martial law.
The Washington Post also said a leadership vacuum is inevitable during the Constitutional Court's impeachment hearing, and was particularly concerned about the situation coupled with the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House.
Prior to the inauguration of the second Trump administration, the government should respond quickly to foreign and trade policies, which could weaken South Korea's responsiveness.
The Wall Street Journal calmed down the public's anger by passing the impeachment motion. It analyzed that there is still a potential risk of a leadership vacuum.
If the Constitutional Court cites impeachment, if an early presidential election is held, Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, is the front-runner for now, he added, however, that five trials are underway.
So far, I've delivered it from Washington.
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