Lawmaker’s claim about U.S. ambassador over martial law ‘utterly false’: U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday strongly denied an opposition lawmaker’s claim that U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg had expressed frustration with Seoul’s initial response to the failed martial law.

Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor opposition Korea Rebuilding Party told parliament that Goldberg reported to his country about how he was unable to reach government officials here, including Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, last Tuesday night, when President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law.

Kim alleged that Goldberg, in his report to Washington, described Yoon’s officials as people he “cannot stand to deal with.”

“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 said in a post on X.

Kim also claimed that ambassadors of “five key countries” told him that they would boycott all leaders’ summits with South Korea, including next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering to be hosted by Seoul, if Yoon stays as president.

The British Embassy in Seoul said “the claims made in the story are inaccurate.”

Australian officials reportedly attended the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting in Seoul this week, expressing support for South Korea’s hosting of the APEC meeting, according to a source.

The ambassadors of the Five Eyes countries — the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — met on Friday to discuss the situation regarding the botched martial law imposition, another source said.