Acting South Korean President stresses national security via Seoul-Washington alliance
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Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo on Dec 20 emphasised the importance of retaining national security.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL – Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo on Dec 20 emphasised the importance of retaining national security through “watertight readiness through a steadfast alliance between South Korea and the US”, amid the political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec 3
Mr Han stressed that Seoul’s relations with its allies remain strong, mentioning his recent phone conversation with the leaders of the US and Japan.
Mr Han and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed on continued trilateral security cooperation with the US on Dec 19. This followed Mr Han’s conversation with US President Joe Biden on Dec 15, which reaffirmed the ties between the two allies.
“(South Korea will) react in a pre-emptive and steadfast manner to changes occurring globally, and will focus all our efforts to revitalise the economy and aid the socially disadvantaged ailing from the recent difficulties,” Mr Han said at the first meeting with senior government and ruling party officials held since Mr Yoon’s impeachment motion
The US government on Dec 19 expressed its full support for Mr Han’s interim role, saying it plans to have high-level, in-person engagement with the South Korean government during the last weeks of the Biden administration.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Washington would keep “every possible line of communication open not just with the interim government, but (with) other actors in the crisis”.
The Acting President and Prime Minister said an emergency economic response system would be enacted and the government would carry out an “intensive execution” of 2025’s budget in the first half of 2025 to revitalise the economy.
Mr Han took over as the interim leader of South Korea after Mr Yoon’s presidential duties were suspended.
Mr Yoon is subject to an impeachment trial and criminal investigation for insurrection regarding his imposition of martial law on Dec 3 and 4. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
