South Korea has elected liberal Lee Jae-myung as president to lead the country through a tumultuous period that will require negotiating trade tariffs with the US and mending the scars from his ousted predecessor's shock martial law declaration.
Following are some reactions to his victory:
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
"We congratulate President Lee Jae-myung on his election as the next president of the Republic of Korea (ROK)."
"The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defence Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties. We are also modernising the Alliance to meet the demands of today’s strategic environment and address new economic challenges."
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"We will also continue to deepen US-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles."
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
"Japan and South Korea are important neighbours that should cooperate as partners on various international issues,"
"The importance of Japan-South Korea relations remains unchanged under the current strategic environment. The cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States is also important."
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Ishiba also told reporters that the two countries should hold a bilateral summit as soon as possible.
European Council President Antonio Costa
"Looking forward to deepening our strategic partnership as key allies in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We share a commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we highly value South Korea's global role."