Will Diplomatic Disruptions from Martial Law Decree Normalize... US "High-Level Face-to-Face Diplomacy with Korea within Weeks" (Comprehensive)

The U.S. administration under Joe Biden announced on the 19th (local time) that it plans to soon engage in high-level face-to-face diplomacy with the South Korean government led by Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Previously, the U.S. government had expressed concerns using non-diplomatic language regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's sudden declaration of martial law, but it now fully supports Acting Prime Minister Han's role and is moving to normalize diplomacy with South Korea.

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is presiding over an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

Kurt Campbell, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, said at a press briefing with Asia-Pacific regional media held at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, D.C., on the same day, "The United States plans to have high-level face-to-face engagement with the South Korean government under Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo within the last weeks of the Biden administration's term." This raises attention to the possibility of visits by U.S. or South Korean foreign ministers or other senior officials before the U.S. administration changes on January 20 next year.

This remark by Deputy Secretary Campbell, the second-highest official at the State Department, marks a significant shift from the U.S. government's stance during the martial law incident. When President Yoon declared martial law on the 3rd, the U.S. government criticized it through an official statement expressing "grave concern." Furthermore, when the South Korean National Assembly passed a resolution to lift martial law, the U.S. publicly pressured President Yoon to accept it.

In particular, Campbell, who is classified as a prominent Korea expert, openly called President Yoon's declaration of martial law a "serious misjudgment." During this process, he used expressions rarely employed in diplomacy such as "deeply illegitimate" and "deeply problematic." Washington diplomatic circles assessed that this reflected the U.S. government's shock over President Yoon's martial law declaration in a key democratic ally, South Korea.

It was also confirmed that high-level diplomacy between South Korea and the U.S. was disrupted immediately after the martial law incident. The U.S. government postponed the Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meetings, tabletop exercises, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's visit to South Korea following President Yoon's martial law declaration. The U.S. State Department's announcement on this day to resume high-level face-to-face diplomacy is analyzed as reflecting the recognition that democracy and the rule of law, which form the foundation of the Korea-U.S. alliance, are functioning in South Korea.

Deputy Secretary Campbell said, "The United States has supported the constitutional measures taken by South Korea during this uncertain period and has expressed trust in South Korea's management of this difficult time." He also added about Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, "He has decades of experience serving in the South Korean government and served as ambassador to the U.S. from 2009 to 2012, so we know him well," and "We fully support his role within South Korea."

Earlier, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said at a foreign press briefing the day before regarding South Korea, "We have witnessed constitutional procedures functioning as intended over the past few weeks," and "When President Yoon took the action of declaring martial law, the legislature responded with impeachment, and an acting president exercising presidential authority took office. That is how democratic institutions should operate," he evaluated.

Moreover, South Korea is a key ally alongside Japan in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at its only strategic competitor, China. From the U.S. perspective, there is a need to continue managing the alliance relationship with South Korea. Additionally, the increased possibility of a regime change in South Korea due to the impeachment situation appears to have influenced the change in the U.S. stance.

Deputy Secretary Campbell said, "We are keeping all possible communication channels open not only with the government under the acting leadership but also with other actors involved in the crisis," implying that communication is ongoing with South Korea's ruling and opposition parties through the U.S. Embassy in South Korea. President Joe Biden also had a phone call with Acting Prime Minister Han on the 15th.

However, concerns remain that it is difficult to predict how Korea-U.S. alliance diplomacy will proceed, given that South Korea's leadership is effectively in a vacuum and the U.S. is also preparing for a government transition to the second term of Donald Trump in January next year. Urgent issues with the U.S., such as tariffs, increased costs for U.S. troop stationing in South Korea (defense cost-sharing), and the North Korean nuclear crisis, remain unresolved. Trump, during his campaign, clearly prioritized "America First," focusing on U.S. interests over alliances. In his first press conference after winning the election, he mentioned Japan, China, Russia, and North Korea but skipped any mention of South Korea, raising concerns that South Korea might be excluded from his strategic view.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.