MOON CONGRATULATES U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT

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President Moon Jae-in has sent a congratulatory message to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. Moon stressed the bilateral alliance and expressed hope about the two nations' future together.

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President Moon Jae-in congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden via social media. The message was posted eight hours after Biden confirmed his victory and issued a statement. The South Korean leader congratulated the U.S. president-elect via social media instead of an official diplomatic channel because the incumbent U.S. president, Donald Trump, is still refusing to concede. In his message, Moon stressed the South Korea - U.S. alliance remains strong. He also expressed "great expectations" about how bilateral ties can improve in the future. Posted in Korean and English, the message ended with the Korean phrase, "Let's go together," transcribed in English. Cheong Wa Dae has been considering diverse scenarios regarding the U.S. presidential election by holding meetings presided over by President Moon even on weekends. At a meeting of foreign affairs and national security officials held on November 5th, the government pledged to make sure Seoul's plan to establish peace on the Peninsula is implemented as scheduled. The government is also reviewing the economic impact of the U.S. presidential election. With his tenure ending in one and a half years, President Moon must find solutions to various issues as soon as possible. The South Korean leader and the U.S. president-elect will likely hold their first phone meeting once Donald Trump formally concedes defeat.