Taiwan’s leader Lai Ching-te, who is on a three-nation Asia Pacific trip, convened a national security meeting via video conference on Wednesday following a deepening political crisis in South Korea.
Lai, who is currently in the US territory of Guam, was briefed about the evolving situation in South Korea, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law, Taipei-based Central News Agency reported.
Lai directed his national security team to maintain constant contact with other “democratic partners” to closely monitor developments in the aftermath of the aborted attempt to impose martial law in South Korea.
The leader also instructed the team to assess the “potential risks and impact” on security, geopolitics, and economics in the region and to be prepared to respond accordingly.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Tuesday retracted its comparison between Taipei’s legislative situation and South Korea’s martial law decision, as the DPP is also in the minority in the regional parliament, known as Legislative Yuan.
In a Tuesday social media post, the DPP claimed that Taiwan’s legislature was facing a situation akin to the one that led South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to declare martial law in his country, according to Focus Taiwan.
The post was subsequently removed from social media platforms.
However, the party later shared a new post, distancing itself from the martial law comparison.
Separately, Lai spoke with US House Speaker Mike Johnson during his stopover in Guam, according to local broadcaster TaiwanPlus News.
He also held a phone call with US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The two leaders emphasized strong bi-partisan support for Taiwan in Congress, Taiwan’s Presidential Office said in a statement.