U.S. watches S. Korea turmoil amid impeachment crisis

[Anchor]

The U.S. diplomatic community is closely monitoring the impact of South Korea's martial law situation and impeachment crisis on U.S.-Korea relations.

There are warnings that if South Korea's political turmoil continues for an extended period, the ripple effects will increase in conjunction with the launch of the Trump administration's second term.

Concerns are being raised about negative impacts in all areas.

Reporter Park Seok-ho has the details.

[Report]

Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stated during an online discussion that the best outcome to prevent the erosion of South Korea's democracy is impeachment.

He further mentioned that after meeting with former aides of President Trump, he learned that numerous policies affecting South Korea would be announced not in 100 days but within just 100 hours after the launch of the second administration.

However, he pointed out that South Korea is not preparing at all in response.

[Victor Cha/Korea Chair, CSIS: "That could impact Korea. It could have to do with troops in Korea, it could have to do with tariffs, it could have to do with the CHIPS Act, it could have to do with a whole bunch of things and there's nobody at home in Korea. There's nobody there."]

U.S. foreign affairs magazine The Diplomat assessed that President Yoon's reference to North Korean infiltration, aimed at securing domestic political legitimacy, has reignited fears in Washington of being drawn into conflicts caused by an ally's recklessness.

The relationship between the new government after impeachment and the Trump administration is also a point of interest.

A former U.S. intelligence official predicted challenges in trilateral security cooperation between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.

[Sydney Seiler/Former U.S. National Intelligence Council Officer for North Korea: "They would definitively establish themselves as an intermediary with North Korea. They would seek to equidistant the ROK relationship with the United States and China."]

There are also forecasts that if South Korea is lukewarm towards the U.S., Trump may consider withdrawing U.S. Forces Korea.

This is KBS News, Park Seok-ho.