President Moon and Biden's Connection is 'Seamus Heaney'

First Call on the 12th... Expressing Warmth to 'Irish Descendant' Biden by Quoting a Poem by an Irish Poet

President Moon Jae-in is having his first phone call with President-elect Joe Biden of the United States on the morning of the 12th. 2020.11.12 [Provided by the Blue House · AP file photo = Yonhap News Agency. Redistribution and DB prohibited]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] On the 12th, President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Joe Biden of the United States had their first phone call and began full-scale communication. During their conversation, the Irish poet 'Seamus Heaney' was mentioned, drawing attention.

A senior Blue House official said to reporters immediately after the call, "During the process of congratulating (the election), President Moon quoted a line from Heaney's poem by citing President-elect Biden's autobiography."

Heaney is an Irish poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. President-elect Biden is also known to be a descendant of Irish immigrants.

At the Democratic National Convention in the United States last August, when Biden was nominated as the presidential candidate, he recited a passage from Heaney's poem 'The Cure at Troy' at the end of his acceptance speech: "History teaches us not to hope at the grave. But once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and history and hope will sing together." He emphasized, "Now is our moment to align history, hope, and fortune." Biden has often quoted Heaney's poetry during key moments of his political career.

President Moon reportedly first encountered Heaney's poetry last December during the visit of the rock band U2 to Korea. Bono, the leader of U2 from Ireland, personally took out a poetry book signed by Heaney and gifted it to President Moon.

Since President Moon has never met President-elect Biden in person and lacks a political connection, it appears he used Heaney's poetry in their conversation to express closeness. A Blue House official conveyed that President Moon said something to the effect of "Our people also have great expectations for President-elect Biden."

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