Yoon to deliver address at US Congress during state visit

President Yoon Suk Yeol poses with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, fifth from left, and other members of a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation that visited the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of presidential office

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol will deliver an address at a joint session of the U.S. Congress during his state visit to Washington later this month.

“U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and a bipartisan congressional delegation visited the presidential office on Wednesday afternoon, and McCaul invited Yoon to give an address at a joint session of the U.S. Congress,” presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said.

“Yoon said he would be pleased to deliver an address at the podium of the U.S. Congress on the special occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance,” Lee said.

Yoon is scheduled to make a state visit to the U.S. later this month and will have a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on April 26. The congressional address is reportedly slated for April 27.

If it takes place, Yoon will be the first Korean president to deliver an address at the U.S. Congress in nearly 10 years. The latest speech was made by former President Park Geun-hye in May 2013.

So far, there were six Korean presidents who delivered speeches at Capitol Hill. Former Presidents Rhee Syng-man, Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung and Lee Myung-bak also gave speeches during their respective state visits in 1954, 1995, 1998 and 2011. Former Presidents Roh Tae-woo and Park made their congressional speeches each in 1989 and 2013 during their respective working visits.

During his meeting with the U.S. delegation, Yoon asked for the lawmakers' attention and support for a stronger alliance between the two countries.

“Yoon also welcomed Korean companies becoming eligible for U.S. incentives following the new guidelines of the Inflation Reduction Act and asked the visiting lawmakers to pay further attention to clearing uncertainties that Korean companies face when investing in the U.S,” the spokesperson said.