By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - The US congratulated Lee Jae-myung on his election as the 14th president of South Korea.
"The United States and the Republic of Korea share an ironclad commitment to the Alliance grounded in our Mutual Defense Treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday in a statement, using South Korea’s official name.
The US is modernizing the alliance to meet the demands of the current strategic environment and address new economic challenges, he noted.
“We will also continue to deepen US-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation to bolster regional security, enhance economic resilience, and defend our shared democratic principles,” he added.
Lee, South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader, was elected president in snap polls triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid last December.
With all of the votes counted, Lee secured more than 49.42%, while Kim Moon-soo of the outgoing ruling People Power Party received 41.15%, according to official data.
Lee received more than 17 million votes.
Some 79.4% of a total 44.3 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the country's 21st presidential election, including South Koreans living overseas.
The provisional voter turnout was the highest in 28 years.
Lee’s rival Kim conceded defeat even before vote counting was completed.
The snap polls were triggered when former President Yoon, in a failed bid, imposed martial law in December, following which he was impeached by parliament and subsequently ousted from office by South Korea's Constitutional Court in April.