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Venezuelans protesting the abduction of their president, Nicolás Maduro, by the US burn an American flag at a rally held in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. (AP/Yonhap) 

Commenting on the Donald Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, the South Korean government issued an official statement expressing “sincere hope that democracy will be restored with due respect for the will of the Venezuelan people and the situation in Venezuela will be stabilized at an early date through dialogue.”

In a spokesperson’s statement on Sunday, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “closely monitoring” the situation in Venezuela.

The ministry said that the government “urges all relevant parties to exert their utmost efforts to ease tensions in the region.”

The statement from Seoul did not include any critical wording about Washington’s actions, such as descriptions of them as a “violation of international law” or “infringement of sovereignty.” Instead, it confined its expressions of concern over the situation to indirect references emphasizing “respect for the will of the Venezuelan people” and hope that “democracy will be restored.” This suggests a calculated and coordinated response reflecting considerations of South Korea’s alliance with the US.

Compounding the awkwardness for Seoul is the fact that the situation unfolded just before President Lee Jae Myung was scheduled to arrive in China for a state visit.

Lee had envisioned using the China visit as an opportunity to persuade Beijing to help encourage North Korea to take part in dialogue. But after seeing the US employ overwhelming military force to topple the administration in Caracas, Pyongyang is very likely to emphasize bolstering its own military capabilities over any resumption of dialogue with Washington.

Meanwhile, no reports had been received to date of any harm to Korean residents in Venezuela. Around 70 or so Korean nationals are currently present in the country.

In preparation for the possibility of the situation in Venezuela deteriorating, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry has established four evacuation bases and begun formulating withdrawal plans if worse comes to worst. On Saturday, Lee ordered preparations for the evacuation and withdrawal of South Korean nationals if necessary.

By Park Min-hee, senior staff writer

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]