Political turmoil sparked by South Korean president's ”emergency law” leaves U.S.-South Korean relations increasingly uncertain

The political turmoil caused by South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of "emergency martial law" on the 3rd of this month has raised concerns about the future of U.S.-South Korean relations.
On the 16th, about one month before his inauguration, he held a press conference and stated that he maintains good relations with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, North Korean leader Kim Jung Eun, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"But he did not mention the South Korean leader. South Korea has been working to strengthen its ties with the United States under the Yoon administration, but the future is looking increasingly uncertain. The South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reported that Trump
He pointed out that Kim referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a press conference as "someone who gets along well with me," and said, "When the second Trump administration is inaugurated next month, he will be in a leadership role amid the political situation of the (South Korean) president's impeachment.
"There are fears that South Korea, with President Moon absent, may skip the nuclear talks and directly engage in a nuclear deal with North Korea," the report said. South Korea was suddenly plunged into political turmoil when Yoon declared emergency martial law late on the 3rd of this month.
The Democratic Party of Korea and other opposition parties have called for Yoon's impeachment, accusing him of violating the constitution by "attempting to suspend the constitutional order and committing an internal rebellion aimed at permanently seizing power."
The bill to impeach Yoon was submitted to the National Assembly. A vote was held on the 14th, and the bill passed with 204 votes in favor and 85 against. As a result, Yoon's powers as president were suspended. Prime Minister Han Deok-soo took over the presidency.
The Constitutional Court will now decide whether Yoon should be impeached, and if so, a presidential election will be held within 60 days.
With the political turmoil expected to continue for the time being, there are concerns about its impact on diplomacy.
Under the Yoon administration, the two countries have worked to strengthen ties. As a result, the US-ROK alliance has been upgraded to a nuclear-based security alliance, and South Korea's defense capabilities have been dramatically improved.
Cooperation among the three countries has also strengthened, with a mechanism for immediate sharing of information on North Korean missile launches established and joint cross-domain training, including in the cyberspace, beginning.
The power of the two countries was beginning to take off. When Trump was elected in the November US presidential election, Yoon spoke with him by phone. At the time, Yoon spoke about cooperation between Japan, the US and South Korea.
"I want to work to ensure that the ROK-U.S. alliance becomes a close partnership across all areas, including security and the economy," he said.
"I hope that the two leaders will be able to continue to work together to resolve this issue," he said. The two leaders also exchanged views and expressed concern about North Korea's repeated military provocations. They agreed on the need for discussions on the North Korea issue.
However, the future of U.S.-South Korean relations has become increasingly uncertain due to Yoon's declaration of "emergency martial law," the resulting political turmoil in the country, and the passage of the impeachment bill against Yoon.
On the 16th, prior to his inauguration, Trump held a press conference, where he mentioned the leaders of Japan, China, and North Korea, but did not mention the leader of South Korea.
"With South Korea essentially at a diplomatic standstill, issues related to the security of South Korea and the Korean peninsula may be postponed," he said, expressing concern. "President-elect Trump has already taken a firm stance against China.
"This tendency can be seen in the fact that Trump has nominated ambassadors to the United States and Japan, but not to South Korea," he said. Trump has shown a tendency to prioritize his own country's interests over upholding the international order.
In response to this, the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh said in an editorial on the 18th that, "While South Korean diplomacy is paralyzed, Japan should quickly contact President-elect Trump, who will take office in a month, to avoid the 'Trump risk.'
"The United States is trying to reduce the number of foreign workers in the country," the article said, pointing out that people with close ties to Trump, such as Akie Abe, wife of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have met with him.
"Acting President Han Deok-soo and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yol have abandoned their previous self-righteous stance, and are working to sincerely communicate with the National Assembly and resolve important diplomatic issues with 'bipartisan support.'"
At a press conference for foreign media on the 18th, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho said that Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law would create certain restrictions on communication with Trump.
He acknowledged that the move had undermined the political momentum of both sides, and stated his intention to maintain the US-ROK alliance and friendly and cooperative relations with Japan, and to actively work to ensure that the trilateral cooperation among Japan, the US and South Korea continues.