South Korea's ruling party lawmakers express concern over U.S. use of force in Venezuela

A group of South Korea's ruling party lawmakers on Tuesday expressed concern over the recent U.S. use of force in Venezuela.

A total of 68 lawmakers of the Democratic Party said in a statement that they express deep concern that the recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela could seriously threaten international peace and stability.

The military operations contained serious flaws in light of the principles of the UN Charter, such as the prohibition of the use of force and non-interference in internal affairs, which are universal norms of the international community and are required to be observed without exception as the core foundation of the international order, the statement noted.

The statement stressed that the situation was worrying, as it could serve as a precedent justifying similar military interventions, adding that if the perception spreads that a specific superpower can violate the sovereignty of another country based on its unilateral assessment, it will lead to overall instability in the international order.

"A regime's poor governance cannot justify military action against a sovereign state," the lawmakers were quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. "The restoration of Venezuela's democracy must be left for the people of Venezuela to decide, and it must be done in a peaceful and diplomatic manner," they added.

(With input from Xinhua)