Park Chan-ho, Angelina Jolie Attend State Dinner... Yoon and Biden Say "To a Steel-Strong Alliance"

President Yoon Suk-yeol proposed a toast at the state dinner with U.S. President Joe Biden on the 26th (local time), saying, "To our steel-like alliance."

President Yoon and his wife attended the state dinner held in the East Room, the largest official space in the White House main building in Washington, D.C., that evening with First Lady Kim Keon-hee, where he made these remarks.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

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The toast emphasized the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance. President Yoon highlighted, "The respected sacrifices and actions of those who have sustained the Korea-U.S. alliance over the past 70 years have made our alliance a strong partnership that acts together toward the future. The seed of the Korea-U.S. alliance, born from the ruins of war, has grown faithfully over the past 70 years and now forms a dense forest. Behind Korea's unprecedented economic growth and dynamic democracy has always been the Korea-U.S. alliance."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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President Yoon said, "Today, President Biden and I celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance together and exchanged in-depth views on future cooperation plans," adding, "We reaffirmed once again that the trust and willingness to cooperate in the Korea-U.S. alliance are as strong as steel. The future generations of both Korea and the U.S. will receive infinite benefits from the Korea-U.S. alliance that will continue for another 70 years." He also expressed hope that core values such as freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights will be the foundation of the Korea-U.S. alliance, stating, "The Korea-U.S. alliance will contribute to peace and stability not only in the Indo-Pacific region but also on a global scale."

During his toast, President Yoon quoted an Irish proverb twice. When the interpreter mentioned it was an Irish proverb, President Biden, who has Irish heritage, smiled and applauded. President Yoon said, "'Friendship is like a four-leaf clover; it is hard to find but lucky to have once you do.' I hope today will be remembered as a historic day when the four-leaf clover called the Korea-U.S. alliance extends new roots beyond 70 years of glory."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

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A total of 200 guests were invited to the state dinner. Among the notable attendees was Park Chan-ho, the first Korean Major League Baseball player, who attended with his wife. The day before, at a social event held at the White House, President Biden gifted President Yoon, a baseball enthusiast, a large framed display containing a baseball glove, bat, and ball featuring the Philadelphia Phillies logo, the team where Park excelled. Also invited were American actress Angelina Jolie and her eldest son Maddox, who was admitted to Yonsei University's Underwood International College in the Department of Life Science and Engineering in 2019 to study abroad, as well as Min Jin Lee, the bestselling author of "Pachinko," which depicts the life of Korean-Japanese residents, and her spouse.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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The state dinner menu was prepared jointly by Korean-American chef Edward Lee and White House chefs. The main dishes included crab cakes with vegetables such as cabbage and kohlrabi served with gochujang sauce, and braised short ribs accompanied by carrots and pine nuts. Desserts included fruits like bananas and strawberries, and lemon ice cream. It is known that First Lady Jill Biden carefully oversaw the entire dinner process.

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