South Korea's alliance with the United States "based on shared values" will continue to develop irrespective of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November, a senior Seoul official said Wednesday.

His remarks came amid growing concerns that Republican front-runner Donald Trump's electoral win could hurt the alliance given his past statements depicting America's core allies -- South Korea and Japan -- as free riders on U.S. security protections.

"We are confident that regardless of the presidential election result, the alliance, based on the shared values of democracy and a market economy, will solidly develop," the official at the Foreign Ministry said on the condition of anonymity.

He added that the Seoul government is trying to reach out to the campaigns of the U.S. presidential candidates, including Trump, to explain Seoul's policy and ensure smooth communication with them.

"We will closely watch the developments related to the U.S. presidential election in November," he said, stressing that the U.S. government, along with Congress, sufficiently recognizes South Korea's role and contributions to the evolving alliance.

Calling his foreign policy "America first," Trump's firebrand tactics have triggered worries here that his electoral win could undercut the bilateral alliance, which could weaken the allies' capabilities to deter an increasingly provocative North Korea.

Further deepening the concerns, some recent polls suggested that he could beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and win the White House. (Yonhap)