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AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
White House calls South Korea election 'fair', expresses concern about Chinese influence, World News
WASHINGTON — The White House said on Tuesday (June 3) that South Korea's election, which saw liberal party candidate Lee Jae-myung win the presidency, was fair, but it expressed concern about Chinese interference. "The US-ROK Alliance remains ironclad. While South Korea had a free and fair election, the United States remains concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world," a White House official said in an emailed response to a Reuters request for comment made at an earlier White House briefing. "ROK" refers to the Republic of Korea. The official did not elaborate on the reference to alleged Chinese interference or connect it directly to the South Korean election. In recent days, however, right-wing allies of US President Donald Trump have taken aim at Lee, who has spoken of the need to balance Seoul's relations with China and the United States. Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who has jockeyed her way up from online agitator to self-appointed Trump adviser, posted "RIP South Korea" on X on Tuesday after Lee's victory became clear. "The communists have taken over Korea and won the Presidential election today," she wrote. "This is terrible," she added. Loomer has shown herself to be highly influential: Several high-ranking White House officials were fired this year after she presented Trump with a list of national security staffers she perceived to be disloyal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement congratulating Lee, and like the White House spoke about the two countries' alliance, also calling it "ironclad". He made no mention of concerns about China. "The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defence Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties," Rubio said. "We are also modernising the Alliance to meet the demands of today's strategic environment and address new economic challenges." Rubio also said the United States would continue to deepen trilateral co-operation with South Korea and Japan, "to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles". As South Korea's ousted former president, Yoon Suk-yeol, fought for his political life earlier this year, he raised unsubstantiated claims about possible fraud in South Korea's elections as one reason for his announcement of a martial law decree that had prompted his ouster. His backers adopted "Stop the Steal" slogans and expressed hopes that Trump would intervene to help, but that never came. Last week, without providing evidence, Trump ally Mike Flynn, a retired general who briefly served as the president's national security adviser during his first term, referred in a post on X to "signs of fraud" in the South Korea election, and said a fraudulent outcome would only benefit the Chinese Communist Party. Another Trump ally, Steve Bannon, explored a similar theme of Chinese election interference on his WarRoom channel last week. [[nid:718612]]
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung takes office
(Reuters) -South Korea has elected liberal Lee Jae-myung as president to lead the country through a tumultuous period that will require negotiating trade tariffs with the U.S. and mending the scars from his ousted predecessor's shock martial law declaration. Following are some reactions to his victory: MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE "We congratulate President Lee Jae-myung on his election as the next president of the Republic of Korea (ROK)." "The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defence Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties. We are also modernising the Alliance to meet the demands of today's strategic environment and address new economic challenges." "We will also continue to deepen U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles." SHIGERU ISHIBA, PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN "Japan and South Korea are important neighbours that should cooperate as partners on various international issues," "The importance of Japan-South Korea relations remains unchanged under the current strategic environment. The cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States is also important." Ishiba also told reporters that the two countries should hold a bilateral summit as soon as possible. ANTONIO COSTA, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL "Looking forward to deepening our strategic partnership as key allies in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We share a commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we highly value South Korea's global role." (Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung takes office
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung talks to attendees during the conclusion of his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 4, 2025. ANTHONY WALLACE/Pool via REUTERS South Korea has elected liberal Lee Jae-myung as president to lead the country through a tumultuous period that will require negotiating trade tariffs with the U.S. and mending the scars from his ousted predecessor's shock martial law declaration. Following are some reactions to his victory: MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE "We congratulate President Lee Jae-myung on his election as the next president of the Republic of Korea (ROK)." "The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defence Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties. We are also modernising the Alliance to meet the demands of today's strategic environment and address new economic challenges." "We will also continue to deepen U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles." SHIGERU ISHIBA, PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN "Japan and South Korea are important neighbours that should cooperate as partners on various international issues," "The importance of Japan-South Korea relations remains unchanged under the current strategic environment. The cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States is also important." Ishiba also told reporters that the two countries should hold a bilateral summit as soon as possible. ANTONIO COSTA, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL "Looking forward to deepening our strategic partnership as key allies in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We share a commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we highly value South Korea's global role." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
South Korea's new president Lee Jae-myung vows economic revival, judgement on martial law, Asia News
SEOUL - South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae-myung began his term on Wednesday (June 4), vowing to raise the country from the turmoil of a martial law crisis and revive an economy reeling from slowing growth and the threat of global protectionism. Lee's decisive victory in Tuesday's snap election stands to usher in a sea change in Asia's fourth-largest economy, after backlash against a botched attempt at military rule brought down Yoon Suk Yeol just three years into his troubled presidency. He faces what could be the most daunting set of challenges for a South Korean leader in nearly three decades, ranging from healing a country deeply scarred by the martial law attempt to tackling unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally. With 100 per cent of the ballots counted, Lee won 49.42 per cent of the nearly 35 million votes cast while conservative rival Kim Moon-soo took 41.15 per cent in the polls that brought the highest turnout for a presidential election since 1997, according to National Election Commission data. The 61-year-old former human rights lawyer called Tuesday's election "judgment day" against Yoon's martial law and his People Power Party's failure to stop the ill-fated move. "The first mission is to decisively overcome insurrection and to ensure there will never be another military coup with guns and swords turned against the people," Lee said in a victory speech outside parliament. "We can overcome this temporary difficulty with the combined strength of our people, who have great capabilities," he said. Lee was officially confirmed as president by the National Election Commission on Wednesday and immediately assumed the powers of the presidency and commander in chief. An abbreviated inauguration is planned at parliament at 11am, an Interior Ministry official said. Lee has said he would address urgent economic challenges facing the country on the first day in office with a focus on the cost-of-living concerns affecting middle and low-income families and the struggles of small business owners. He also faces a deadline set by the White House on negotiating import duties that Washington has blamed for a large trade imbalance between the countries. 'Deal with Trump' The government under a caretaker acting president had made little progress in trying to assuage crushing tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump's administration that would hit some of the country's major industries, including autos and steel. "President Lee will find himself with little to no time to spare before tackling the most important task of his early presidency: Reaching a deal with Trump," the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies said in an analysis. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Lee on his election win and said the countries "share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defence Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties." He also said that the countries were "modernising the Alliance to meet the demands of today's strategic environment and address new economic challenges." The White House said the election of Lee was "free and fair" but the United States remained concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world, according to a White House official. Lee has expressed more conciliatory plans for ties with China and North Korea, in particular singling out the importance of China as a major trading partner while indicating reluctance to take a firm stance on security tensions in the Taiwan strait. Still, Lee has pledged to continue Yoon's engagement with Japan and said the alliance with the United States is the backbone of South Korea's global diplomacy. The martial law decree and the six months of ensuing turmoil, which saw three different acting presidents and multiple criminal insurrection trials for Yoon and several top officials, marked a stunning political self-destruction for the former leader and a drag on an economy already slowing growth. [[nid:718652]]
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
White House calls South Korea election ‘fair', expresses concern about Chinese influence
In recent days, right-wing allies of US President Donald Trump have taken aim at Mr Lee Jae-myung. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG WASHINGTON - The White House said on June 3 that South Korea's election, which saw liberal party candidate Lee Jae-myung win the presidency, was fair, but it expressed concern about Chinese interference. "The US-ROK Alliance remains ironclad. While South Korea had a free and fair election, the United States remains concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world," a White House official said in an emailed response to a Reuters request for comment made at an earlier White House briefing. "ROK" refers to the Republic of Korea. The official did not elaborate on the reference to alleged Chinese interference or connect it directly to the South Korean election. In recent days, however, right-wing allies of US President Donald Trump have taken aim at Lee, who has spoken of the need to balance Seoul's relations with China and the United States. Ms Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who has jockeyed her way up from online agitator to self-appointed Mr Trump adviser, posted "RIP South Korea" on X on June 3 after Lee's victory became clear. "The communists have taken over Korea and won the Presidential election today," she wrote. "This is terrible," she added. Ms Loomer has shown herself to be highly influential: Several high-ranking White House officials were fired in 2024 after she presented Mr Trump with a list of national security staffers she perceived to be disloyal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement congratulating Lee, and like the White House spoke about the two countries' alliance, also calling it "ironclad." He made no mention of concerns about China. "The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defence Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties," Mr Rubio said. "We are also modernising the Alliance to meet the demands of today's strategic environment and address new economic challenges." Mr Rubio also said the United States would continue to deepen trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, 'to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles.' As South Korea's ousted former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, fought for his political life earlier in 2025, he raised unsubstantiated claims about possible fraud in South Korea's elections as one reason for his announcement of a martial law decree that had prompted his ouster. His backers adopted "Stop the Steal" slogans and expressed hopes that Mr Trump would intervene to help, but that never came. Last week, without providing evidence, Mr Trump ally Mike Flynn, a retired general who briefly served as the president's national security adviser during his first term, referred in a post on X to "signs of fraud" in the South Korea election, and said a fraudulent outcome would only benefit the Chinese Communist Party. Another Mr Trump ally, Mr Steve Bannon, explored a similar theme of Chinese election interference on his WarRoom channel last week. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
