The United States announced on Tuesday that it is closely monitoring the situation in South Korea, a key ally, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law.

A spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council stated that the U.S. administration is in contact with the South Korean government and is keeping a close watch on developments. The U.S. currently has around 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to protect against threats from North Korea.

President Yoon declared martial law, stating it was necessary to protect South Korea from “communist forces” amid ongoing disputes in parliament over the budget. He accused the opposition party of paralyzing governance and called his decision unavoidable.

In a televised address, Yoon said, “To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law.” He criticized the opposition for using governance to pursue impeachments and investigations while shielding their leader from justice.

Yoon’s remarks come amid ongoing clashes between his People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party over next year’s budget. The opposition, which holds a majority in parliament, recently approved a downsized version of the budget through a parliamentary committee.

Yoon labeled parliament as a “haven for criminals” and accused the opposition of slashing critical budgets essential for public safety and security, claiming it has made the country vulnerable to drug crimes and chaos.

He further accused opposition lawmakers of being “anti-state forces” trying to overthrow the regime, stating, “I will restore the country to normalcy by getting rid of anti-state forces as soon as possible.”

The situation has raised concerns in the region as the U.S. continues to maintain strong ties with South Korea and Japan to counter threats from North Korea and China.