After being surprised by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to impose martial law, the Biden administration refused to condemn the move as it struggled to cope with the rare but dramatic political upheaval from the close US ally to explain.

White House, Pentagon and State Department officials all said they were in close contact with their South Korean counterparts on Tuesday as they tried to assess the situation. President Joe Biden, who is currently in Angola, also said he was “just now being updated on developments” after he completed his address.

Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the government was monitoring developments in South Korea with “great concern.” But Campbell and other officials across Washington also emphasized what they said was an “ironclad” partnership between the United States and South Korea.

Despite the close alliance, both the White House and the State Department said the U.S. was not informed in advance of Yoon’s intention to impose martial law. U.S. officials did not publicly condemn Yoon’s decision, but also did not support his claims that South Korea’s opposition party was involved in “anti-state” activities with North Korea – Yoon’s stated reason for temporarily suspending civilian rule.

“This is an incredibly uncertain situation. I will not jump to any conclusions at this point,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday. “Every hope and expectation is that all political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.”

This resolution appeared to come into focus just hours after Yoon’s statement. In a dramatic scene, South Korean lawmakers fought their way through crowds of protesters and military vehicles in the middle of the night to the National Assembly building, where the body’s members in attendance voted unanimously to end martial rule.

Soon after, Yoon complied with the decision by revoking his declaration of martial law and saying the troops used to enforce the order had already been withdrawn.

“This is a bullet dodged,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery. “I think the U.S. government was probably hoping for what happened and stayed silent to see if it would happen.”

Montgomery, a senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the apparent outcome in South Korea – the triumph of democratic processes over authoritarian instincts – was far from guaranteed.

“I think South Korea is a beleaguered democracy. There is constant pressure from North Korea, constant pressure from China, and now Russia is giving things to North Korea,” he said. “They are, like Taiwan, like Ukraine, like Israel, a beleaguered democracy that is on the front line against this access.”

Still, the tumult is fueling new frustration with the Biden administration and its legacy of promoting democracy abroad, as well as its strategy to contain China by strengthening other partnerships in the region.

South Korea was a favored ally during Biden’s term. The president honored Yoon with a state visit in April and invited the country to host the Summit for Democracy, an annual meeting that Biden created with the intent of promoting democratic values.

The US military also has a large presence in South Korea: almost 30,000 soldiers are stationed in the country. Since the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty at the end of the Korean War in 1953, the United States has also been committed to helping South Korea defend itself.

Even as South Korea tries to move beyond the martial law conflict, Montgomery said its alliance with the U.S. will likely still face some uncertainty as Yoon faces increasing backlash.

“Yoon walked the Rubicon,” he said. “His political life is in question.”