"I Will Be the Compass of Freedom"... Yoon Builds 'Future' with the US, Receiving 57 Applause (Comprehensive)

44-minute English speech... Consistently composed, even mentioning BTS
57 rounds of applause, strengthening economic cooperation and criticizing North Korea... "Unified will" is important

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 27th (local time) that "the ROK-US alliance has been the central axis in protecting the freedom and peace of the Republic of Korea and achieving prosperity," and emphasized that "the Republic of Korea itself is the success of the ROK-US alliance." In his joint address to the United States Congress, becoming the seventh Korean president to do so, President Yoon mentioned freedom 46 times and stressed that Korea and the U.S. will become the 'compass of freedom.'

On that day, President Yoon delivered a speech at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. under the theme "Alliance of Freedom, Alliance in Action" at a joint session of Congress. This was the first joint address by a Korean president to the U.S. Congress in 10 years since former President Park Geun-hye in 2013.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"We will definitely do what must be done by joining forces with the international community"

From the first day of his state visit to the U.S., President Yoon consistently mentioned strengthening the ROK-US alliance, and on this day, he again emphasized his determination to embark on a new journey together with the United States. The fact that he mentioned freedom (46 times) most frequently during his 44-minute speech reflects this. President Yoon stated, "Now, for the freedom of humanity, the Republic of Korea will definitely do what must be done by joining forces with the international community."

In the early part of his speech, he focused on evaluating the past of the ROK-US alliance. He referred to the two world wars and the Korean War, in which the United States fought to protect freedom and democracy, highlighting the historical significance of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance. President Yoon said, "Over the past century, the United States has taken the lead in confronting challenges threatening freedom and defending it. As the colonial struggles among imperialist powers intensified, humanity endured two devastating world wars. The United States chose righteous intervention to protect freedom."

He also proposed a new role for the Republic of Korea for the future. President Yoon said, "Upon taking office last year, I declared my mission to make the Republic of Korea a country based on liberal democracy and market economy, where the people are the masters, a respected nation fulfilling its roles and responsibilities as a proud member of the international community." He added, "The Republic of Korea will act as the 'compass of freedom' alongside the United States, protecting and expanding the freedom of global citizens."

Economic cooperation was not overlooked. Following the previous day's ROK-US summit where President Yoon and President Joe Biden agreed to consult and coordinate on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS Act, President Yoon emphasized again, "Strengthening cutting-edge semiconductor cooperation between the two countries will contribute to building a stable and resilient supply chain and alleviating economic uncertainties." He also revisited space and cyber sectors, which were other summit agenda items, asserting that the ROK-US alliance should expand into these new frontiers of space and cyberspace. He expressed confidence that "the cooperation between the two most innovative and creative technological powers in the world can create great synergy."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A total of 57 rounds of applause, large and small... Communicating with attendees even after the speech

Even while delivering his speech in English, President Yoon maintained a consistently relaxed posture, drawing strong interest from lawmakers. Upon his entrance into the plenary hall as a state guest, U.S. lawmakers stood and applauded for four minutes to show their respect. Standing ovations continued as he took the podium. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the President of the Senate by virtue of office, and Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House from the Republican Party, also stood behind the podium applauding President Yoon.

Including the standing ovation upon entry, President Yoon received a total of 57 rounds of applause, including 24 standing ovations. He even showed a sense of humor by joking, "BTS visited the White House before me, but I came to Congress before BTS." The mention of Mission: Impossible was reportedly not in the original script.

When he referred to Representatives Young Kim, Andy Kim, Marilyn Strickland (Korean name Sunja), and Michelle Park Steel as "witnesses to the ROK-US alliance across generations," the lawmakers gave another standing ovation. After the speech, President Yoon stayed in the plenary hall for a while, shaking hands with lawmakers. He was also seen signing autographs on speech copies and taking selfies with members of Congress.

It was also notable that after freedom (46 times) and alliance (27 times), North Korea was mentioned more than 20 times (21 times). Following the previous day's sharp words exchanged with President Biden such as "overwhelming response to nuclear weapons" and "end of regime," President Yoon called North Korea "a force stubbornly insisting on the opposite path," criticizing that "North Korea has abandoned freedom and prosperity and ignored peace." He added, "North Korea's illegal nuclear development and missile provocations pose a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world," emphasizing, "Above all, the united will of the ROK-US alliance is crucial to firmly deter North Korea's reckless actions."

Meanwhile, during the speech, President Yoon pointed out Dane Weber, the daughter of the late Colonel William Weber, who lost his right arm and leg while fighting in the Battle of Hill 324 in Wonju. Sitting next to First Lady Kim Keon-hee and listening to the speech, President Yoon asked Dane Weber to stand and said, "On behalf of the people of the Republic of Korea, I express my deep gratitude and infinite respect."

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