Latest news with #US-ROKAlliance
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
World leaders congratulate Lee Jae-myung on election win
Opposition in Seoul criticizes delayed first phone call with Trump President Lee Jae-myung's victory on Tuesday prompted a wave of congratulatory messages from around the world, but his political opponents in Seoul noted that the customary Day One phone call with the US president was delayed. The latest statement from the presidential spokesperson, Kang Yu-jung, did not mention when Lee's first phone call with US President Donald Trump might take place. On Thursday, Kang said the South Korean president's call with Trump was being arranged, adding that factors like different time zones had to be put into consideration. Some within the opposition in Seoul pointed out that past South Korean presidents usually held the first over-the-phone talks with their US counterparts on the day they assumed office, if not the day after. "I think there are two possibilities at play. One is that Washington seems to have doubts about where the new South Korean president stands on China," People Power Party Rep. Ihn Yohan, on the National Assembly's foreign committee, told The Korea Herald. "The other is that trade talks with other countries are a bit stalled, and being given a priority. We hope it is the latter." The White House's statement on Lee's presidential win on Wednesday included an unusual mention of China. "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," the statement said, according to Reuters. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended a more neutral congratulations. "We congratulate President Lee Jae-myung on his election as the next president of the Republic of Korea," he said. Rubio said the two allies "share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defense Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties." Rubio also highlighted continuity of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the US and building on shared values. "We will also continue to deepen US-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and build our shared democratic principles," he said. More well wishes came in from US Congress members. Sen. Bill Hagerty on Friday congratulated Lee on his win via social platform Twitter. "As a senator and former US ambassador to Japan, I look forward to working with Seoul to continue strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and the US-ROK-Japan trilateral strategic partnership," the Republican senator said. The US Congressional Korea Caucus issued a statement Wednesday and said they looked forward to "working together with President Lee Jae-myung and his administration during this critical time for the alliance." "We also wish to recognize the estimated 2 million Korean Americans throughout the United States who play a vital role in maintaining our strong bilateral relationship," the Korea Caucus statement said. Key regional neighbors including China and Japan congratulated Lee soon after his election was called. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing places a "high priority on its relationship with Seoul, and is ready to work closely with the incoming administration to deepen bilateral ties." Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, calling Lee's win a "reflection of the will of the Korean people," said he hoped for "renewed relations after years of strain between the two countries." "It is in our mutual interest to work closely together on issues of security, historical reconciliation and regional stability," he said. Lee also received congratulations from Taiwan. President Lai Ching-te extended "sincerest congratulations to the people of the Republic of Korea and President Lee," according to the Taiwanese president's spokesperson Karen Kuo. Kuo said Lai hoped to "deepen bilateral relations" with Seoul, and "jointly help contribute to democracy, peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region." Over the campaign, Lee said he would take a "pragmatic approach" in dealing with both China and Taiwan in a possible contingency.
The Print
6 days ago
- Business
- The Print
White House calls South Korea election ‘fair,' expresses concern about Chinese influence
'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. By Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House said on Tuesday 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 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 U.S. 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. U.S. 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 Defense Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties,' Rubio said. 'We are also modernizing 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 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 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. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by Josh Smith In Seoul; Editing by Leslie Adler) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
AsiaOne
6 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]]
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
White House backs South Korea election as ‘fair', flags concerns over ‘China's interference'
The White House on Tuesday said that South Korea's election — in which liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung secured the presidency — was conducted fairly. However, it voiced concerns over interference from China. A White House official said in an emailed response to a Reuters request for comment made at an earlier White House briefing, '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.' "ROK" refers to the Republic of Korea. However, right-wing supporters of US President Donald Trump have recently targeted Lee, who has emphasised the importance of maintaining a balanced relationship between Seoul, China, and the United States, Reuters reported. Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who has risen from being an online provocateur to a self-declared adviser to Trump, posted 'RIP South Korea' on X on Tuesday after Lee's win was confirmed. "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, Reuters reported. U.S. 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 Defense Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties,' Rubio said. 'We are also modernizing 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 cooperation with South Korea and Japan, 'to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles.' Earlier this year, as South Korea's ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol struggled to stay in power, he cited unproven allegations of election fraud as part of his justification for declaring martial law — ultimately led to his removal from office. His supporters echoed 'Stop the Steal' rhetoric and hoped for intervention from Donald Trump, though such support never materialized. 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, Reuters reported. 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. Another Trump ally, Steve Bannon, explored a similar theme of Chinese election interference on his WarRoom channel last week. (With inputs from Reuters)
Straits Times
6 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.
