In Seoul, Blinken Affirms Alliance Amid Challenges to Democracies NYT | Top Stories Edward Wong and Choe Sang-Hun 6 January 2025 at 19:02 The U.S. secretary of state aimed to show that his country stood by South Korea as it grapples with a political crisis, and as Donald J. Trump returns to power. © Pool photo by Lee Jin-ManSouth Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a meeting in Seoul on Monday.