In a speech to a joint session of Congress, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hailed the exchange of culture between his country and the U.S., starting with the first Korean immigrants to Hawaii, up to the Korean Americans serving in Congress today.
“Representatives Young Kim, Andy Kim, Michelle Steel and Marilyn Strickland are here with us,” he said, to thunderous applause. “They are a testament to the alliance spanning generations.”
Yoon also noted the success of Korean films “Parasite” and “Minari” in the U.S., and the equal popularity of American blockbusters “Top Gun” and “The Avengers” in his country.
And, he said, even if Americans don’t know his name, they’re likely familiar with global K-pop sensations BTS and BLACKPINK.
“BTS beat me to the White House,” Yoon said. “But I beat them to Capitol Hill!”
While in the U.S., Yoon and President Joe Biden signed a declaration that expands the U.S.-Korean alliance aimed at deterring the North Korean nuclear threat.
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