Seoul (TDI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday started a visit to crisis-ridden South Korea where he will seek delicately to encourage continuity with the policies, but not tactics, of the impeached president.
Blinken arrived in Seoul on what will likely be his final trip as the top US diplomat before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
He will meet his counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Monday, the same day a warrant expires to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol who unsuccessfully tried to impose martial law on December 3.
Blinken is underlining President Joe Biden’s efforts to build alliances and will head afterwards to Tokyo, making it important in the eyes of his advisors not to snub Seoul, which has a fraught and often competitive relationship with Japan, also home to thousands of US troops, according to AFP.
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Yoon had once been a darling of the Biden administration with his bold policies to turn the page on friction with Japan and his eye on a greater role for South Korea on international issues.
Yoon joined Joe Biden for a landmark three-way summit with Japan’s prime minister and — months before declaring martial law — was picked to lead an international democracy summit, a signature initiative for the outgoing US administration.
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Yoon also memorably charmed his hosts on a state tour by belting out “American Pie” at a White House dinner.
In a statement, the State Department did not directly mention the political crisis but said Blinken would try to preserve trilateral cooperation with Japan, which has included increased intelligence sharing on North Korea.
