Biden praises US-South Korea alliance as ‘Linchpin for Peace’ in the Indo-Pacific

During a phone call on Saturday with South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who has assumed the role of acting president following the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, President Joe Biden emphasized the strong relationship between the United States and South Korea.

"President Biden expressed his confidence that the Alliance will remain the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during Acting President Han‍‍`s tenure," the White House said in its summary of the conversation.

Biden also expressed his appreciation for South Korea‍‍`s commitment to democracy and the rule of law. "President Biden expressed his appreciation for the resiliency of democracy and the rule of law in the Republic of Korea and reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to the people of the Republic of Korea," the White House statement added.

The phone call came after South Korean lawmakers voted on Saturday to impeach President Yoon, following his brief declaration of martial law. This has thrown the country into one of its deepest political crises in decades. Han, a technocrat, is currently serving as interim leader while the constitutional court deliberates on whether to permanently remove Yoon from office.