Biden Attends White House Correspondents' Dinner... First Since Obama

Only the President's Speech Amid COVID-19 Concerns

President Joe Biden [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] U.S. President Joe Biden has decided to partially attend the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner, held for the first time since the pandemic, due to concerns over COVID-19 infection.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated on the 27th (local time), "President Biden will limit the time he attends the Correspondents' Dinner scheduled for the 30th," confirming this decision.

Accordingly, President Biden will only attend the speech following the dinner. The White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner, which began in 1921, is characterized by the sitting president delivering a speech with political jokes each year.

After Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day, President Biden was initially expected to skip the Correspondents' Dinner, but he decided to attend the president's speech, the highlight of the event.

This marks the first time in six years since former President Barack Obama in 2016 that a sitting U.S. president has attended the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner. Former President Donald Trump, who had a poor relationship with the media, refused to attend.

Press Secretary Psaki explained, "President Biden is attending the event to support the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.