President After the Impeachment of Yoon Underscored the Strength of the Relationship Between US and South Korea Calling the Alliance Linchpin for Peace in the Region

Just a day after the impeachment of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, United States President Joe Biden engaged in a call with Seoul's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday (Dec 14).

Biden during the call with Duck-soo, who became acting president after the impeachment of Yoon, underscored the strength of the relationship between US and South Korea, calling the alliance "linchpin for peace" in the region.

According to a White House readout of the call, "President Biden expressed his confidence that the Alliance will remain the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during Acting President Han's tenure."

The American president also reaffirmed his country's commitment to the people of South Korea.

"President Biden expressed his appreciation for the resiliency of democracy and the rule of law in the Republic of Korea and reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to the people of the Republic of Korea."

The Biden-Han call comes just a day after South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon on "insurrection" charges over his brief declaration of martial law in the country.

On Saturday, out of 300 lawmakers, 204 voted to impeach the president on allegations of insurrection.

With the success of the impeachment bid, Yoon now stands suspended from office as South Korea's Constitutional Court deliberates on whether to uphold his removal.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will step in as the nation's interim president.

The court has 180 days to either clear or block the vote.

The court currently has only six judges, which means their decision must be unanimous.

If the court upholds the impeachment, Yoon will only be the country's second president to be impeached.