Moscow inquires whether or not West will sanction S-Korea

(MENAFN) Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has raised the question of whether Western countries will impose sanctions on South Korea following reports of a crackdown on political protests. This comes after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law, accusing the main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and engaging in anti-state actions. He cited the opposition's attempts to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget as actions aimed at inciting rebellion, which he argued had paralyzed the state.

Shortly after, South Korea’s lawmakers voted to block the martial law decree, with National Assembly chairman Woo Won-sik urging the president to immediately lift the emergency measures. Protests erupted outside the Assembly, with demonstrators calling for Yoon’s impeachment. By the end of the day, Yoon announced the termination of martial law.

In reaction, Zakharova questioned whether Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—who had previously imposed sanctions on those involved in suppressing protests in Georgia—would take similar action against South Korea. She raised the issue on Telegram, asking if South Korea would face sanctions or if it would be treated more favorably than Georgia, which has seen ongoing protests since its prime minister suspended EU accession talks due to alleged Western interference in internal affairs.

The US expressed concern over the situation in South Korea, with Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel stating that Washington hopes the crisis will be resolved peacefully while reaffirming the strong partnership between the US and South Korea.

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