Five Eyes ambassadors met to discuss martial law aftermath, potential APEC boycott: Lawmaker

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Five Eyes ambassadors met to discuss martial law aftermath, potential APEC boycott: Lawmaker

Published: 11 Dec. 2024, 17:02 Updated: 11 Dec. 2024, 23:34

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

U.S.-led Five Eyes intelligence network comprised of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand [PIXABAY]

Ambassadors from the U.S.-led Five Eyes intelligence network met in Seoul on Friday to discuss the aftermath of Korea’s short-lived imposition of martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol and consider a collective boycott of the upcoming APEC summit, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The intel network comprises the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It dates back to U.S. and British intelligence cooperation during World War II, which evolved during the Cold War era into a mechanism for monitoring the Soviet Union.

“The ambassadors decided that if Yoon remains in office, they will boycott all international summits hosted by Korea, including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC),” Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the liberal Rebuilding Korea Party said during a parliamentary hearing of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Wednesday.

The APEC economic leaders meeting is scheduled to take place in Gyeongju in November 2025, the first time Korea has hosted the event since Busan held it in 2005. It was expected to be the largest international event of President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration.

The hearing was initiated by Democratic Party (DP)-led lawmakers, but no government officials were present, including Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Unification Minister Kim Young-ho, nor were lawmakers from the president's People Power Party.

Rep. Kim also said U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Yoon administration’s handling of the martial law declaration.

According to Kim, Goldberg reported to Washington that Korean officials, including Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo and Foreign Minister Cho, were unreachable shortly after the declaration of emergency martial law on Dec. 3, which was eventually lifted six hours later.

“He essentially told Washington that he could no longer deal with the Yoon administration,” Kim said, adding, “Diplomatic channels are completely paralyzed.”

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul, however, strongly denied the claims.

“While we do not reveal details of diplomatic conversations, allegations made in the media by Rep. Kim Joon-hyung regarding supposed comments by U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg are utterly false,” the embassy wrote in a statement posted to X, or formerly Twitter, on Wednesday evening.

A military helicopter carrying martial law troops lands on the National Assembly grounds in Yeouido, western Seoul, early on Dec. 4, following President Yoon Suk Yeol's televised announcement of an emergency martial law just hours earlier. [JEON MIN-KYU]

According to an exclusive report by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on Wednesday, the Five Eyes nations will share intelligence through a separate private channel and coordinate their responses to Korea's martial law crisis.

The martial law plan was reportedly crafted in secrecy by a small group of officials led by former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is now under arrest for charges related to treason. The lack of communication extended to Korea’s allies, with the United States receiving no advance notice of the declaration.

Washington openly voiced its displeasure over the situation, with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell describing the martial law declaration as a “badly misjudged” decision.

Alliances fear that prolonged political instability in Korea could lead to increased provocations by North Korea, further aggression from China, or even interference from Russia, which recently signed a strategic treaty with North Korea.

“If North Korea or China carries out aggressive threats exploiting the domestic situation, it could intensify threats to the U.S. Forces in South Korea,” a diplomatic source told the JoongAng Ilbo. “The U.S. is deeply concerned about decisions made without prior consultation, given the direct implications for the safety of U.S. troops, their families and other American citizens in South Korea.”

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, left, and Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul [YONHAP]

To mitigate the fallout, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with Goldberg twice last week, and Goldberg later held talks with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Goldberg reportedly raised questions about the “constitutional legitimacy” of transferring governance to a joint leadership structure led by Prime Minister Han and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, an arrangement proposed by the president's party.

Korea’s foreign ministry has been reaching out to other key international partners.

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima on Monday, while Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won met with China’s Chargé d’Affaires Fang Kun to restore confidence.

"As the 2025 APEC chair, we will do our utmost to ensure a successful event.” a Foreign Ministry official told the Korea JoongAng Daily. The official also noted that representatives from all APEC member economies attended the ongoing Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM) and expressed their support and expectations for Korea’s 2025 APEC hosting.

Other Five Eye nation embassies also denied claims that they would not attend the summit.

"The claims made in the story are inaccurate," the British embassy said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Australian officials similarly dismissed the claims, with sources familiar with the matter noting their attendance at the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM) this week.

Update, Dec. 11: Statement from the British Embassy added.
Update, Dec. 11: Statements from the U.S. Embassy and Australian officials added.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]