U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to host a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul, amid ongoing political chaos in the country stemming from impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to impose martial law in December. Blinken is expected to steer clear of local politics and focus on encouraging policy stability with the key Washington ally.
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00:00U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in South Korea, seeking stability in the two
00:05countries' alliance amid Seoul's political crisis.
00:08Blinken is not scheduled to meet impeached President Yoon Suk-yool, meeting instead with
00:12acting President Cho Sang-mok.
00:14He will also meet with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yool.
00:17Seoul is a key security ally for Washington, with thousands of U.S. troops stationed in
00:22South Korea.
00:23Blinken is expected to stay clear of local partisan politics during his trip, as protesters
00:28continue to rally against Yoon.
00:30I'm worried, so I'm just guessing that the U.S. is trying to see what's going on.
00:42After South Korea, Blinken will travel to Japan and then to France.
00:45It's likely his last trip as Washington's top diplomat, with President-elect Donald Trump
00:49set to take office in two weeks.