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Foreign Ministry dismisses White House comment suggesting Chinese influence on presidential election

Published: 05 Jun. 2025, 18:19 Updated: 05 Jun. 2025, 19:33

President Lee Jae-myung chairs a public safety inspection meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul on June 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed a comment from the White House that some have read as an allegation of Chinese influence on Korea’s presidential election, saying it is unrelated to the country's domestic politics.

The response came after speculation emerged that Washington might be urging the new administration in Seoul to distance itself from Beijing, particularly as the first phone call between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to take place.

The delay drew comparisons to previous presidents who spoke with their American counterparts much sooner after their inauguration.

“The key point of the White House’s background briefing is that Korea held a free and fair election,” a Foreign Ministry official told reporters in Seoul on Thursday. “We view the reference to China as separate from the Korean presidential election.”

When asked why China was mentioned in a statement released to congratulate President Lee's election win, the official did not elaborate but said: "That is how the Foreign Ministry sees it."

In response to a media inquiry on the election result in Korea, the White House said on Tuesday: "While Korea had a free and fair election, the United States remains concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world."

It is highly unusual for the White House to mention China while commenting on the election outcome of a close ally.

Observers interpreted the statement as an early signal from the Trump administration urging President Lee to align more closely with U.S. policy in pressuring Beijing.

U.S. President Donald Trump silences his mobile phone, which rang twice, as he was speaking to reporters after signing executive orders regarding nuclear energy in the Oval Office on May 23 in Washington. [AP/YONHAP]

The Foreign Ministry emphasized, however, that the U.S. government's official position on the election should be viewed through the statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In the official statement, Rubio congratulated President Lee on his victory and reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad" commitment to the alliance.

The Foreign Ministry further clarified that the White House’s remarks on China were part of a “background briefing” by its press office and should not be regarded as a formal policy position.

Korea and the United States have reportedly discussed the issue behind the scenes, and the ministry’s classification of the China reference as unrelated to Korea’s election appears to reflect Washington's position.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry pushed back against the White House comment on Wednesday, denying interfering in any country’s internal affairs and demanding that Washington "not sow discord.”

Seoul’s decision to issue an official statement on Thursday appears to stem from concerns that Washington and Beijing could drag Korea into a geopolitical contest during the early days of the new administration.

Questions continue to swirl around the delayed phone call between President Lee and Trump.

Moon Jae-in, who also took office without a transition committee in May 2017, spoke with Trump on the same day of his inauguration.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, elected on March 9, 2022, spoke with then-U.S. President Joe Biden the following day.

The Foreign Ministry’s effort to highlight the White House’s focus on the free and fair nature of Korea’s election — rather than its comment on China — may reflect a broader attempt to defuse speculation about strains in coordination over the presidential call.

“Although officials cite practical reasons like time differences and scheduling for the delay, we cannot rule out the possibility that the United States is sending a signal to Seoul to maintain distance from China or testing the new government’s alignment,” said Lee Byung-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]