The outgoing secretary had planned his final Asian visit including stops in Seoul and Tokyo next week, but reportedly decided to skip his visit to South Korea as Yoon faces backlash over his abrupt declaration of martial law, which ended in a chaotic overnight fiasco on Wednesday, with an impeachment vote against him set for Saturday.
Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said, "Austin will travel to Tokyo, Japan for a multitask visit. This trip marks his 13th visit to the Indo Pacific as secretary of defense and comes as the department continues its historic efforts to bolster our partnerships and alliances and advance a shared vision of peace, security and prosperity in the region."
Amid these developments, the regular Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting planned for this week in Washington, D.C. has also been postponed indefinitely.
Ryder said, "I don't have any updates to provide in terms of rescheduling. Again, just given the events in [South Korea], it was deemed a prudent measure, and we'll keep you updated in terms of a new date when that's rescheduled."
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