Washington channels about 28, 500 soldiers in South Korea to shield it from North Korea, its nuclear-armed ally.
The North has long been annoyed by the United States and South Korea’s joint exercises because they serve as rehearsals for an invasion and have generally conducted weapons tests in retaliation.
In addition, Biden has promoted the connection between Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo as a barrier against both North Korea and a growing assertive China.
The US State Department earlier on Tuesday echoed the concerns of the White House, with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stating that Washington has “every hope and desire that any political issues will be resolved calmly and in accordance with the rule of law.”
” I do want to underline that our ally with the ROK is unbreakable, and we stand by Korea in their moment of uncertainty”, he said.
Yoon has long been a close ally of the US, with Biden making an official state visit to him last year, and South Korea hosting a global politics summit in March, a personal initiative of the incoming US administration.
In the midst of Donald Trump’s election defeat in November, the South Korean president congratulated the Republican, saying he hoped to work strongly with the coming US presidency.