Lee Jae-myung Wins Presidential Election, White House: ROK Alliance Remains Strong

JAKARTA - The White House said on Tuesday it praised the South Korean presidential election which was won by Democratic Party Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung was fair and the alliance between the two countries remained strong.

"The AS-ROK alliance remains strong. While South Korea is holding free and fair elections, the United States remains concerned and opposes China's interference and influence in democracy around the world," a White House official said in an emailed response at Reuters' request for comment. delivered at the previous White House briefing, as quoted Wednesday, June 4.

"ROK" refers to the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a congratulatory statement to Lee, and like the White House, speaking of the two countries' "strong" alliance. He did not mention any concerns about China.

"The United States and the Republic of Korea share a strong commitment to the Alliance based on the Collective Defense Treaty, shared values, and deep economic relations," said Foreign Minister Rubio.

"We are also modernizing the Alliance to meet the demands of today's strategic environment and address new economic challenges," he added.

Foreign Minister Rubio also said the United States would continue to deepen trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, "to strengthen regional security, increase economic resilience and maintain the principles of our common democracy."

Separately, United States right-wing ally Donald Trump has directed his attention to Lee, who has spoken about the need to balance Seoul's relations with China and the United States.

In a speech after his victory, Lee has declared a more peaceful plan for relations with China and North Korea, particularly by emphasizing the importance of China as the main trading partner while showing a reluctance to take a firm stance on security tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

White House officials did not elaborate on China's alleged interference or directly link it to the South Korean elections.

However, Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who has struggled hard from an online agitator to Trump's self-representing adviser, posted the "South Korean RIP" on X on Tuesday after Lee's victory became clear.

"The communal has taken over Korea and won the presidential election today," he wrote.

"This is terrible," he added.

Loomer has shown he is very influential. Several high-ranking White House officials were sacked this year after he gave President Trump a list of national security staff he deemed loyal.

Separately, Trump's ally Mike Flynn, a retired general who served as the president's national security adviser during his first term last week without providing any evidence referring to an X post on "signs of fraud" in South Korea's election, and said fraudulent results would only benefit the Chinese Communist Party.

Another ally of President Trump, Steve Bannon, discussed a similar theme about China's interference in the general election on his WarRoom channel last week.

Lee's past comments about China, including his statement that the conflict over Taiwan will have nothing to do with South Korea, have become fuel for those in the US government who tend not to trust him, Evans Maritime, former US Deputy Ambassador to East Asia Affairs.

His policy approach to China, Taiwan, Russia, Japan, and issues related to alliances and trade will be closely monitored in Washington and could lead to "differences" between the two allies, he added.

"In that context, a White House spokesman's comment could be intended as a warning message to the new president of Korea."