The exterior of the White House in the United States (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
WASHINGTON•BEIJING, June 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The Trump administration on Tuesday congratulated South Korea’s newly elected President Lee Jae-myung and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, as tensions with China continue to mount.
In an official statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as National Security Advisor, hailed Lee’s victory as South Korea’s 14th president — a count based on the number of individuals to hold the office, in line with U.S. convention — and emphasized the enduring strength of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
“The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment grounded in our mutual defense treaty, shared values, and robust economic ties,” Rubio said. “We are modernizing our alliance to meet the demands of today’s strategic environment and new economic challenges.”
He further pledged to deepen U.S.-Korea-Japan trilateral cooperation to enhance regional security, bolster economic resilience, and defend shared democratic principles.
In a separate response to a written inquiry from Yonhap News Agency, a senior White House official reiterated Washington’s unwavering support for the alliance, while issuing a rare and pointed rebuke of China’s growing influence in global democracies.
President Donald Trump (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
“South Korea has conducted free and fair elections,” the official stated. “However, the United States remains concerned about, and firmly opposed to, efforts by China to interfere in democratic nations around the world.”
This unusually direct inclusion of China in a statement about South Korea’s presidential transition is seen by analysts as a subtle signal to the incoming Lee administration. Some interpret it as a call to avoid tilting too close to Beijing while maintaining defense ties with Washington — a strategic posture that has been termed “security with the U.S., economy with China” in past policy circles.
The Trump administration has repeatedly warned against this dual-track approach. In a recent address at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 31, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned that nations attempting to balance economic ties with China and security ties with the U.S. risk giving Beijing undue leverage.
“Economic dependence on China only deepens its corrosive influence and complicates our strategic decisions in times of crisis,” Hegseth said.
China swiftly pushed back. On June 4, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to non-interference, calling on the U.S. to abandon its “habitual distortions” and cease provoking tensions between China and South Korea.
As Seoul prepares for the start of the Lee administration, the geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia appears increasingly shaped by the rivalry between Washington and Beijing — with South Korea once again at the strategic crossroads.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
