Global Courant 2023-04-27 10:29:00
WASHINGTON — Presidents traditionally invite foreign leaders who visit the White House to make a statement in front of cameras, to raise a toast at a dinner party, perhaps even to answer questions from reporters. They usually don’t ask them to sing.
But there was President Biden on the stage of the State Dining Room on Wednesday night, persuading South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol to perform one of his guest’s favorite songs, Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Mr. Yoon looked like he didn’t need much convincing.
And so the leader of more than 50 million South Koreans began singing one of the most iconic American songs of modern times to the delight of a crowd of diplomats and celebrities cheering him on. During a long day of public appearances up to that point, Mr. Yoon had not spoken a word of English, carefully spoken by a translator, but he knew every word as he sang about driving his Chevy to shore the day the music died. .
The lavish finale of the second state dinner of the Biden era made for a more memorable evening than most at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The 80-year-old president, who had been questioned about his age a few hours earlier, clenched his fists and booed along with the crowd as Mr. Yoon performed.
“The next state dinner we’re going to have, you watch the entertainment,” Mr. Biden told the audience, referring to Mr. Yoon. He turned to his guest and added, “I had no idea you could sing.”
In fact, he, or his staff, did, as it was all a planned surprise carefully laid out in advance, but left out of the official program for maximum impact. The president even presented Mr. Yoon with a guitar signed by Mr. McLean.
The moment was reminiscent of another visit with a different pair of leaders. In 2006, President George W. Bush took Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan, an avid Elvis Presley fan who wore his hair in a pompadour, to visit Graceland in Tennessee — on which Mr. Koizumi sang “Love Me Tender” and other lyrics popularized by the king.
In the case of Mr. Biden and Mr. Yoon, the two leaders spent the evening trying to outsmart each other. During the toast opening the state dinner, Mr. Yoon went straight to Mr. Biden’s soft spot by quoting one of the president’s favorite Irish poets, Seamus Heaney. “Behavior that is admired is the path to power among people everywhere,” said Mr. Yoon.
As if that wasn’t enough, the South Korean leader ended his toast with what he believes is an old Irish saying: “A good friend is like a four-leaf clover – hard to find and lucky to have.” That generated “awwws” and applause from the audience.
It was all four-leaf clover and bonhomie as the two pals put on an elaborate show of friendship while ignoring the recent tension over revelations of US spying on South Korean officials. The first lady, Jill Biden, provided a classic American menu with a Korean flair.
The Maryland crab cake was accompanied by a cabbage, fennel and cucumber salad in a gochujang vinaigrette. The yellow pumpkin soup was followed by braised beef short ribs with butter bean grits, sorghum-glazed carrots and pine nuts. And dessert was a banana split with fresh berries, gingersnap cookie crumble and doenjang caramel.
The East Room, where the dinner was held, was decorated with arrangements of cherry blossoms, and the main table featured stars like the actor Angelina Jolie and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, as well as lesser lights like New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader who elected for a suit instead of a tuxedo. (“This is as tuxedo as I get,” he explained.)
Before dinner, Vice President Kamala Harris, who had brought her niece Meena Harris, chatted with Mrs. Jolie, who had brought her 21-year-old son, Maddox Jolie-Pitt. Other guests included Samantha Cohen, the daughter of Michael D. Cohen, former President Donald J. Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer who turned against him and gave testimony that led to the recent indictment in a hush money case.
Ms. Kim, described by some as the greatest female snowboarder in history, admitted she was nervous as she entered the White House. “I’m very nervous,” she said. She revealed that she had lost her Olympic gold medal.
“I wasn’t wearing my medal,” she told reporters. “I don’t know where it is.”
The evening’s official entertainment was a collection of Broadway tunes sung by stage stars Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk. They performed a solid set that energized the audience. Veteran member of the Coalition of the Willing rock band Antony J. Blinken, who has a daytime gig as secretary of state but is known on Spotify as Subscribeseemed so in the moment that he could have jumped onstage and grabbed his own guitar.
But as the Broadway stars wrapped up their final issue, they offered an unannounced encore, saying they’d heard “American Pie” was one of Mr. Yoon’s favorites. Mr. Yoon clapped for their rendition of the song, and when it was over, Jill Biden grabbed his arm and practically pushed him onto the stage.
At that time, her husband told the South Korean leader, “We know this is one of your favorite songs, ‘American Pie’.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Mr. Yoon said through a Korean translator. “When I went to school it was one of my favorite songs.”
“We want to hear you sing it,” Mr Biden declared.
“It’s been a while, but…” Mr. Yoon replied, without much resistance.
And then the South Korean president took the microphone and started the first couple of verses of the song as the crowd went wild.
Mr. Biden was effusive — but wary of any more encores. “Don’t expect me to sing it!” he said.
