68 Lawmakers of South Korea’s Pro-China Ruling Party Rebuke the United States Over Maduro Raid

Guest post by trusted source in South Korea

On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the Herald Economy reported that 68 lawmakers from South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party issued an official statement condemning recent U.S. military action related to Venezuela.

The statement criticized what it called “the use of force lacking international legal procedures,” warning that such actions threaten international peace and stability.

While the lawmakers acknowledged Nicolás Maduro’s lack of democratic legitimacy and record of human rights abuses, they nevertheless argued that these realities “cannot justify unilateral military action” and insisted that Venezuela’s future must be decided solely by internal, peaceful, and diplomatic means.

This framing is striking — and alarming.

At a moment when the United States has moved decisively against an authoritarian regime widely recognized for election fraud, repression, and transnational criminal activity, South Korea’s ruling party has chosen to publicly rebuke Washington rather than stand with it. This was not a fringe statement; it was issued collectively by dozens of sitting lawmakers from the governing party.

The contrast with the same party’s posture toward China is impossible to ignore. Just days earlier, President Lee Jae-myung’s administration avoided even verbal demands for the removal of China’s unilateral structures in the West Sea, instead promoting vague language about turning the area into a “sea of peace and shared prosperity.” In other words, China is accommodated, while the United States is openly criticized.

This is not neutrality. It is alignment.

The Democratic Party’s statement mirrors long-standing rhetoric used by far-left and pro-authoritarian groups in South Korea, where U.S. actions are routinely framed as destabilizing, while hostile or revisionist regimes are shielded under the language of “sovereignty” and “peace.”

Given South Korea’s role as a key U.S. ally in East Asia, this development deserves serious attention. It signals a governing party increasingly willing to distance itself from the United States while soft-pedaling — or outright avoiding — confrontation with Beijing.