The United States congratulated Lee Jae-myung on his victory in the South Korean presidential election, but also expressed concerns about China’s interference and expanding influence.
On March 3 (local time), the White House said that the presidential election in the “Repulic of Korea (ROK)” was held fairly, but expressed concerns about Chinese interference.
According to Reuters, Laura Loomer, who was an online far-right activist and she is now so called an adviser to President Trump, tweeted on X, “The communists have taken over Korea and won the Presidential election today. This is terrible.” she claimed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not mention concerns about China, but said, “The United States and South Korea share an ironclad alliance based on mutual defense treaties, shared values, and deep economic ties,” adding, “We will continue to deepen trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan to strengthen regional security, promote economic recovery, and uphold democratic principles.”
Following his call with Trump on June 4, Lee is expected to meet face-to-face with Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada on June 15-17 or the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24-25.
Meanwhile, China has been positive about the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung, who has promised “pragmatic diplomacy.”
China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, pointed out on June 4 that “Sino-South Korean relations reached a low point during the former president Yoon Suk-yeol government,” and that “President Lee Jae-myung’s presidency, if not worse, cannot be worse than before.” He said that it is necessary to promote a pragmatic foreign policy and create friendly relations with China, Japan, Russia and the United States,” adding that “China is an important trading partner for the “ROK” and a country that affects the security of the Korean Peninsula, so we will stably manage Sino-Korean relations.”
US, ‘worries about expanding Chinese influence’ after new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on victory
