The White House affirmed South Korea’s presidential election was free and fair, with liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung winning, but voiced concern over Chinese interference in global democracies. While not linking China directly to the vote, some of Donald Trump’s allies criticized Lee’s stance on balancing ties with China. Despite this, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reaffirmed the “ironclad” U.S.-South Korea alliance.
