Blue House: "U.S. Midterm Election Results Won't Affect South Korea-U.S. Alliance" (Comprehensive)

Blue House: Strategic Investments in the U.S. to Continue... National Interest to Come First in Individual Projects
President Lee at Closed-Door Meeting with Senior Secretaries and Aides
Calls for Public-Private Partnership to Help South Korea's AI Industry Expand Overseas
Boosting Startups Requires Lowering Barriers to Startup Support

The Blue House said on the 5th, regarding the Democratic Party’s recapture of both chambers of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections, that “a particular election outcome will not affect the South Korea-U.S. alliance.” It said strategic investments in the United States would proceed under existing agreements regardless of changes in the U.S. political landscape, while individual investment projects would be assessed based on the national interest and commercial viability.

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a meeting with senior secretaries and aides at the Blue House on Nov. 5, 2026. Yonhap News

At a briefing at Chunchugwan that afternoon, Blue House Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication Kang Yoo-jung made the remarks in response to a question about the impact of the U.S. midterm elections on South Korea-U.S. relations, investment in the United States and tariffs. “The South Korea-U.S. alliance is a relationship that has developed firmly for more than 70 years with bipartisan support from the United States,” she said.

“The government will continue to analyze changes in the political landscape resulting from these U.S. midterm elections and maintain close communication and cooperation with the U.S. administration and Congress to ensure the continued development of the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” Kang said.

She also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing to implement existing agreements on investment in the United States. “The government will continue to pursue strategic investments in the United States based on agreements between South Korea and the United States. Individual projects will be reviewed in accordance with procedures related to commercial viability and the principle of putting the national interest first,” Kang said.

The government intends to preserve the continuity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and bilateral agreements even if the balance of power in the U.S. Congress changes, while assessing the economic viability of each project and the national interest during the actual investment process. However, discussions related to the U.S. midterm election results were not held at the senior secretaries and aides meeting chaired by President Lee Jae-myung that day, according to reports.

At a closed-door meeting with senior secretaries and aides that day, President Lee called for the establishment of a public-private cooperation system to help South Korea’s AI industry expand overseas. The Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning presented plans to support private-sector-led efforts to break into overseas markets and expand into related industries, drawing on full-stack AI capabilities spanning infrastructure, models and services.

In particular, the meeting discussed identifying AI cooperation models tailored to individual countries and pursuing “AI-led joint expansion projects” in which South Korean companies enter overseas markets together. President Lee stressed the importance of forming joint public-private teams and proposed making active use of South Korean diplomatic missions overseas and foreign embassies in South Korea. He called for the government to guarantee stability and support companies as they take the lead in entering global markets, so they can seize opportunities to expand overseas.

He also directed officials to develop policies to increase public use of AI. President Lee stressed the need for incentives to encourage voluntary public participation, including introducing competitive elements, to raise usage of “AI for Everyone.”

Regarding measures to boost startups, he called for consideration of lowering barriers to startup support and significantly expanding opportunities to participate. President Lee said startup support should not focus solely on ensuring that startups succeed, emphasizing that useful results can emerge as diverse ideas accumulate. He also proposed measures to substantially increase the number of startup support applicants.

In response to a related question, Kang said, “His remarks were not limited to any particular program,” adding that the point was that “expanding opportunities to start a business so that anyone can apply with any idea is itself the starting point.” She added that the concept included the “Everyone’s Startup” initiative but was not limited to that program.

President Lee also raised the issue of polarization, which prevents the benefits of economic growth from being widely shared. He stressed the urgent need for support measures to uplift lower-income groups affected by K-shaped polarization and stimulate economic activity, and said policies on adequate wages and public-interest jobs should be linked.

President Lee Jaemyung and Chief of Staff Lim Kwanghyun enter a meeting of senior secretaries and aides at the Blue House on Nov. 5, 2026. Yonhap News

Meanwhile, regarding Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s criticism of President Lee’s visit the previous day to a public redevelopment site in Jangwi-dong, Seoul, Kang said, “I understand that there is an issue under discussion with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport,” adding, “The Blue House currently has no separate position.” She also declined to state a position on the special counsel bill concerning fabricated indictments under discussion in the National Assembly, saying, “It is not appropriate to express an opinion on a matter that is still going through deliberation and a vote in the National Assembly.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.