US closely watching political crisis in South Korea

28/12/2024 6:34

A deepening political crisis in South Korea has not diminished the military readiness of 28,500 troops stationed in the Asian state, a U.S. official said on Friday, but Washington is closely monitoring the situation.



South Korea's parliament impeached acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday, less than two weeks after suspending President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law declaration, plunging the country further into political chaos.



The United States has troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War. After the martial law declaration this month, the U.S. and South Korea had postponed a tabletop exercise and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin scrapped a trip to South Korea.



A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while the United States was monitoring the latest developments on Friday, there had been no impact on military readiness on the Korean peninsula.