Moscow - US President Joe Biden and South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol have reaffirmed the strength of the alliance between their countries in a phone call, the White House said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Yoon, a candidate from the conservative opposition People Power Party, was elected the president of South Korea with 48.56% of the votes. The voter turnout was 77.1%, more than 34 million people out of over 44 million voters cast their ballots.
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to congratulate him on his election.
“Together, they affirmed the strength of the US-ROK alliance, which is the linchpin for peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," the statement said.
“President Biden emphasized the United States’ commitment to the defence of the ROK and that he looks forward to working together to deepen cooperation on key global challenges, including climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and supply chains.
“The two also committed to maintain close coordination on addressing the threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear and missile programs,” it said.
Yoon, in his turn, expressed respect to the US role regarding Ukrainian issue amid Russia’s military operation in the country.
“Yoon Suk-yeol expressed respect for the way the United States, together with allies, manages the joint efforts of the international community in responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Biden also agreed that South Korea is playing a leading role in this,” Yoon’s party said in a statement.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only.
Related Video:
Sputnik