Washington, Dec 14 (IANS): The United States appreciates the resiliency of democracy and the rule of law in South Korea and its alliance with the Asian country remains "ironclad," a White House official said Saturday after the National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law attempt.
South Korea's legislature impeached Yoon, suspending him from his duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate him or remove him from office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has taken over as the acting president.
"We appreciate the resiliency of democracy and the rule of law in the ROK. Our Alliance remains ironclad, and the United States is committed to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula," a National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
"The American people will continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of the Republic of Korea," the official added, Yonhap news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, South Korea's National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched imposition of martial law, suspending him from his duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate him or remove him from office, with citizens cheering over his impeachment.
The impeachment motion against Yoon passed 204-85, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, after all 300 members of the Assembly cast their votes.
The motion's passage came 11 days after Yoon declared martial law in an announcement that caught the nation by surprise and drew outrage, as troops encircled the National Assembly compound in an apparent attempt to stop lawmakers from repealing the decree.
The martial law order, which was lifted within six hours after the Assembly voted it down, has prompted investigations by the police, the prosecution and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials into whether Yoon staged an insurrection. He is currently banned from leaving the country.