"While the Korean Election Was Fair," but "Concerns About Chinese Interference"…The Subtle Stance of the White House

Is There a Concern About Being 'Pro-China'? Subtle White House Response to President Lee Jae-myung's Election in South Korea

The U.S. government gave a subtle response regarding President Lee Jae-myung's election in South Korea, emphasizing the alliance between the two countries remains strong but also voicing concerns about interference from China.

A White House official, in response to The Korea Economic Daily's request for comment about President Lee's election on the 3rd (local time), stated, "The US-ROK Alliance remains ironclad." The official added, "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."

(Original statement: "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.")

This message, which acknowledges the fairness of the Korean presidential election but simultaneously expresses concern about Chinese influence, is quite different from the White House's usual responses in the past. Since the martial law last December, regardless of whether it was the Biden or Trump administration, the U.S. government has consistently emphasized the resilience of Korea’s democracy and the ironclad alliance between the two countries, as well as their preparedness to work with Korea's leadership.

The Department of State maintained its usual tone in comparison. In response to The Korea Economic Daily’s inquiry, the Department of State said, "We congratulate Lee Jae-myung on his election as the 14th President of the Republic of Korea," and added, "The United States and the Republic of Korea have a strong commitment to the alliance, based on our mutual defense treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties."

They also noted that the two countries are "modernizing the alliance to address today’s strategic environment and new economic challenges," and stated, "Moving forward, we will continue to deepen trilateral cooperation between the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan to strengthen regional security, expand economic resilience, and uphold our shared democratic principles."

The Department of Defense replaced its statement with a brief message, simply saying that the alliance between the two countries "remains ironclad."

Washington, D.C. – Lee Sang-eun, Correspondent selee@hankyung.com