President Yoon Suk-yeol went to Washington to reset South Korean diplomacy by drawing closer to the United States and taking a larger role on the international stage. If the warmth of his reception there was the gauge of success, he did well.
President Joe Biden welcomed him as "my friend.” Yoon belted out "American Pie” while the crowd whooped along during the White House dinner. On Thursday, he addressed the U.S. Congress, thanking Americans for their support during the Korean War and extolling a deep relationship between the countries that helped energize South Korea’s rise to become a global technological and cultural powerhouse.
"Even if you didn’t know my name, you may know BTS and Blackpink,” Yoon said to chuckles from American lawmakers. "BTS beat me to the White House. But I beat them to Capitol Hill.”