Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S. to hold talks Monday amid Yoon’s impeachment

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States will hold talks in Seoul early next week on the alliance, North Korea and other issues, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Friday, in what would be the first such high-level diplomatic talks since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will meet one-on-one with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for bilateral talks in Seoul on Monday, the ministry said in a brief message to reporters.

Blinken is expected to make a two-day trip to Seoul beginning Sunday, a source said.

“The two sides will discuss bilateral alliance, trilateral cooperation involving Japan, North Korea, and regional and other global issues,” the ministry said.

Blinken’s upcoming visit comes at a time when South Korea is working to reassure its alliance with the U.S. and its standing as a reliable international partner, despite the political turmoil surrounding Yoon’s impeachment over his brief martial law attempt early last month.

Yoon’s abrupt martial law imposition sparked concerns that it could undermine Seoul’s policy coordination with Washington in security and other issues, primarily North Korean threats.

It also raised worries that the incident might hinder the allies’ efforts to further cement the trilateral partnership framework with Japan — a key achievement touted by the U.S. Joe Biden administration.

Washington has reaffirmed its strong support for the “ironclad” alliance with South Korea, expressing confidence in the country’s acting leadership, even after the parliament-led impeachment of former acting President Han Duck-soo, which came less than two weeks after Yoon’s impeachment.

Cho is likely to use next week’s meeting to reaffirm the commitment to the bilateral alliance and Washington’s deterrence against North Korea. He is also expected to discuss with Blinken the deepening military ties between the North and Russia, as well as Pyongyang’s troop deployment to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

Cho may also take the opportunity to reaffirm South Korea’s unwavering commitment to advancing the trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan.

According to diplomatic sources, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is also likely to visit South Korea on Jan. 13 for talks with Cho.

Hosting the top diplomats of the U.S. and Japan is expected to help alleviate concerns over diplomacy and set the stage for South Korea to demonstrate that it has the unwavering support from the two countries despite the political tumult.

For Blinken, the upcoming trip will be his final Asia tour as the top U.S. diplomat under the outgoing Biden administration. After his stop in Seoul, he is expected to travel to Japan.

Sources said that South Korea is also working with China and Japan to hold a three-way meeting among their foreign ministers in Japan as early as next month.

The meeting will come as part of preparations for an expected summit of the three countries’ leaders. Japan is this year’s host for the trilateral summit.