Yoon’s “American Pie” overwhelms Biden

From talking about nuclear war to singing an acclaimed hit: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s White House visit ended on a high note when he sang Don McLean’s “American Pie” to loud applause.

Yoon is on a six-day state visit to Washington, where he discussed with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday “the end” of any North Korean regime that has used nuclear weapons against allies.

But the two leaders had more light-hearted topics on the agenda at the White House state dinner in Yoon’s honor later that day, with the South Korean leader, known at home as a karaoke aficionado, sharing his love of American music. .

“We know this is one of your favorite songs, ‘American Pie,'” Biden told Yoon, having brought him up on stage at the end of the night to hear the singers perform the classic.

“Yes, that’s true,” Yoon, 62, admitted, saying she had loved the Don McLean song, released in 1971, since she was in school.

“We want to hear you sing it,” Biden said.

“It’s been a while, but…” Yoon replied, offering only token resistance as he took the mic.

Yoon sang the opening lines of the song a cappella, drawing enthusiastic applause from the crowd and delighting Biden and the First Lady.

“The next state dinner we’re having, you’ll be watching the entertainment,” Biden told the crowd, referring to Yoon.

He then turned to the South Korean president and said, “I had no idea you could sing.”

Biden told Yoon that McLean couldn’t be at the White House to join them, but had sent him a signed guitar, which the US president gave to the South Korean leader.

“Yoon literally broke the stage and the White House!” wrote a Korean-language Twitter user in response to a video of the president singing.

“Yoon has revealed his hidden talent for singing,” wrote another commenter, also in Korean, sharing the video.

It is not the first time that Yoon sings in public.

In the 2021 election campaign, he appeared on the famous South Korean TV show “All the Butlers”, wowing his celebrity hosts with a brilliant rendition of Lee Seung-chul’s K-pop ballad “No One Else”. .

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