US watching developments in South Korea with 'grave concern': State Department

WASHINGTON

The US is watching developments in South Korea with grave concern after the president declared martial law in the country, the State Department said on Tuesday.

“We are watching the recent developments in the (Republic of Korea) ROK with grave concern,” said Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel.

“We are seeking to engage with our Republic of Korea counterparts at every level, both here in the United States and in Seoul. The Secretary (Antony Blinken) has been briefed, and we're keeping him appraised of the developments, as well as monitoring closely what's happening on the ground,” he said.

Patel said the US alliance with the Republic of Korea is ironclad, and it is fully committed to that.

“And ultimately here our hope is and every hope and expectation is that any political dispute will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.

Meanwhile, the US president, Joe Biden, has been briefed about the developments.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared on Tuesday martial law, a move immediately rejected as "unconstitutional" by the opposition, which subsequently voted to reverse it.

Yoon, in an unannounced late-night television address, said the step was necessary to “protect the country from North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements.”