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U.S. confident Korea-U.S. alliance will 'thrive' under Lee's leadership, State Department says

Published: 11 Jun. 2025, 09:38 Updated: 11 Jun. 2025, 18:05

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during a press briefing at the department in Washington on June 10. [YONHAP]

The United States is confident that the Seoul-Washington alliance will continue to "thrive" under new Korean President Lee Jae-myung's leadership, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday.

Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, made the remarks during a regular press briefing, responding to a question by Yonhap News Agency regarding the Lee administration's pursuit of a "pragmatic" foreign policy that regards the bilateral alliance as its "foundation."

"We congratulate the president on his election as the president of the Republic of Korea, and we're confident under his leadership, our alliance will continue to thrive," Bruce said, referring to Korea by its official name.

She also confirmed the phone call that Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump had on Friday.

During the 20-minute call, Lee and Trump agreed to work together to swiftly reach a mutually satisfactory trade agreement, according to Lee's office.

The two leaders are expected to have their first in-person encounter on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit, set to take place in Alberta, Canada, from June 15 to 17.

Yonhap