U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday congratulated South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung on his election, affirmed the two countries’ shared commitment to the alliance and voiced his desire to deepen trilateral cooperation with Japan.
Rubio issued a statement after Lee of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea was elected the nation’s 14th president in a vote that was set up following the April ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law debacle in December.
“The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) share an ironclad commitment to the alliance grounded in our Mutual Defense Treaty, shared values and deep economic ties,” he said. ROK is short for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.
“We are also modernizing the alliance to meet the demands of today’s strategic environment and address new economic challenges,” he added.
The secretary also underscored the need for three-way cooperation with Japan.
“We will also continue to deepen U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience and defend our shared democratic principles.
