(CNN) Vice President Mike Pence said he was "appalled" by the allegations of domestic abuse against top White House staffer Rob Porter, and added that "the White House has acknowledged that they could have handled it better."

The administration's number two weighed in from South Korea on the controversy that has engulfed the White House this week, after allegations from Porter's two ex-wives led to his resignation.

"I was appalled when I learned of the allegations against Rob Porter. The time that he resigned was the first time I became aware of the allegations of domestic abuse," Pence told NBC News in an interview from Pyeongchang, where he is leading the United States Olympic delegation.

"There is no tolerance in the White House, no place in America for domestic abuse," Pence said. "That being said, I think the White House has acknowledged that they could have handled it better."

Pence added that when he returns to Washington, DC, he will look into the matter and share his "counsel with the President directly."

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