“President Yoon Seok-yeol’s Joint Speech at US Congress Emphasizes Alliance of Freedom and Democracy”

[휴스턴=뉴스핌] Correspondent Ko In-won = President Yoon Seok-yeol gave a joint speech at the US Congress in Washington, DC on the 27th (local time) at 11 am.

President Yoon shook hands with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives one after another as he entered the Congress, and the members greeted President Yoon with a standing ovation.

On this day, in a speech that lasted about an hour under the theme of ‘Alliance of Freedom, Alliance in Action’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘Democracy’ were mentioned several times.

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[서울=뉴스핌] Reporter Kim Tae-hoon = President Yoon Seok-yeol gave a joint speech at the U.S. Congress in Washington, DC on the 27th (local time). [사진=로이터 뉴스핌] 2023.04.28 taehun02@newspim.com

Taking the podium, President Yoon spoke about the long history of the ROK-US alliance, which lasted for 70 years, and the US leadership and efforts for world peace and freedom.

He also explained how the relationship between the two countries, which began with unilateral support, developed into a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship and the rapid development of Korea after the Korean War.

In particular, he stressed that at the center of Korea’s rapid development despite the ruins of the Korean War was the ROK-U.S. alliance, which helped preserve Korea’s freedom and peace and foster prosperity.

The applause continued in the middle of the president’s speech, and members of the House and Senate stood up several times in unison and gave a standing ovation in response.

When mentioning the recently elevated status of Korean culture and mentioning Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’, Black Pink, or BTS, there was applause and cheers in the hall.

Also in his speech that day, President Yoon also mentioned the North Korean nuclear issue and the Ukraine issue. He said that North Korea’s illegal nuclear development and missile provocations pose a serious threat not only to South Korea but also to the world.

However, he reaffirmed the principle of keeping the door open for dialogue on denuclearization while responding firmly to North Korean provocations.

President Yoon, who emphasized freedom and democracy several times that day, also indirectly criticized the situation in Ukraine.

Although he did not directly mention Russia, he emphasized that the war in Ukraine is an attempt to unilaterally turn the current situation into armed force, and that “the Republic of Korea strongly condemns the armed attack on Ukraine that has been carried out without justification.”

“The Republic of Korea will defend the freedom of the Ukrainian people in solidarity with the free world and spare no efforts for reconstruction,” he said.

He also emphasized how the ROK-US alliance has evolved from military security cooperation to economic cooperation.

In particular, he said that as a result of the Korea-US summit, he adopted a joint statement containing the vision of an “alliance in action moving forward into the future.” .

“By strengthening cooperation in the cutting-edge semiconductor field, we will be able to establish a stable supply chain and resolve uncertainty,” he added.

At the end of his speech, President Yoon emphasized that the ROK-US alliance is a cooperative relationship for freedom, democracy, human rights, justice, and peace, and for countless opportunities for future generations, and wished blessings to the US and the ROK-US alliance. ended the speech verbally.

After the speech, he was caught shaking hands and greeting each member of the Senate and House of Representatives.

After the speech, President Yoon plans to attend a state lunch hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Tony Blincoln at the State Department building.

koinwon@newspim.com