President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greeted south Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee on the North Portico Wednesday night for their second state dinner of the administration.
Top names on the guest list actress Angelina Jolie and son Maddox, home improvement stars Chip and Joanna Gaines and one Congressional Republican: Sen. Mitt Romney, who voted in favor of former President Donald Trump’s impeachments.
Dr. Biden wore a mauve, long sheath evening gown by Reem Acra.
Jolie played coy when asked what was next after leaving her longtime post at the United Nations, simply smiling for the row of cameras. Maddox answered ‘great’ when asked about his visit to Seoul, South Korea.
It was also a family affair, as Frank Biden, the president’s brother, and Meena Harris, Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece, were on the guest list.
Frank Biden sped by the line of reporters covering the arrival, not stopping when asked how he would assist with the president’s reelection bid – which was made official Tuesday.
‘Just supporting when I can,’ Meena Harris replied when asked what role she would have in the 2024 campaign.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden (right) greeted south Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (center left) and his wife Kim Keon-hee (left) on the North Portico Wednesday night for their second state dinner of the administration.
Angelina Jolie (left) and her son Maddox (right) enter the state dinner Wednesday night with South Korea. Jolie played coy when asked what her next cause would be after leaving her longtime position at the United Nations
‘Just supporting when I can,’ said Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris (right) about her aunt’s 2024 reelection announcement, with her date Nikolas Ajagu (left) as they arrive for Wednesday night’s State Dinner with South Korea
Chip (left) and Joanna Gaines (right) answer questions from reporters as they enter Wednesday night’s White House state dinner with South Korea
Lea Salonga, one of the three Broadway stars tapped to perform at the dinner, answered ‘Belle. The books,’ when asked what Disney character Dr. Biden would be. Salonga provided the voice for both Princess Jasmine and Mulan
Absent from the guest list was the president’s son Hunter, who attended the White House’s first state dinner with France in December, but skipped the arrivals line.
Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim dazzled in a smoke-colored gown with large flowers attached to it.
‘I didn’t wear my medal, I don’t know where it is,’ Kim confessed to reporters covering the arrivals.
Lea Salonga, one of the three Broadway stars tapped to perform at the dinner, answered ‘Belle. The books,’ when asked what Disney character Dr. Biden would be.
Salonga provided the voice for both Princess Jasmine and Mulan.
Romney told reporters that he supports House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s debt bill.
‘Absolutely. He’s now laid out a reasonable proposal. It’s time for the White House to negotiate. That’s the way a two-party system works. Which is they both have to come together and work out a compromise. That’s what’s gotta be done now,’ Romney said.
While McCarthy was on the guest list for the first state dinner, he was omitted on Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to stop for a chat about the debt ceiling.
‘This is as tux-y as I get,’ he also said, when a reporter noted that he was wearing his usual business suit and not a tuxedo.
The menu for Wednesday’s dinner was designed by Chef Edward Lee, a Korean-American chef who’s known for infusing traditional American classics with Korean flavors.
Lee, who has appeared on Top Chef and owns restaurants in Washington D.C. and New York, created about a dozen dishes for Jill Biden and her team to try in order to come by the final menu.
‘I wanted to take some of my favorite American foods and just tinker with it a little bit. And this is also how I cook in my restaurants – to just add a little bit of Korean touches to it. Where again, it’s familiar yet unexpected, and it’s not traditional Korean food, but it just gives you a little hint of Korean flavors,’ he said.
He said the first person he told about being asked to be guest chef for the evening was his mom, an immigrant from Korea.
‘We’ve always felt this huge debt of gratitude to the United States of America for the opportunities that they’ve had, that I’ve been able to have. So to come full circle, and to give back and be able to do this was, you know, a very proud moment for me and also for my mom,’ he said.
And as for the advice his mom gave him: ‘She just said don’t mess it up.’
When guests entered the East Room, they saw scenic landscape designs that features some of the most American symbols – American Bison, the American Bald Eagle, roses, stars – and Korean images – the Korean magpie and Korean tiger.
The decorations were inspired by the Taegeuk, the symbol in the center of the Republic of Korea flag, which represents balance, harmony, and peace, according to the White House.
And it pays tribute to the 70-year alliance with the Republic of Korea. It includes platinum-colored table linens and flowers that are important to both countries.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee to the White House
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden (right) walk through the Korean War Veterans Memorial with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (center left) and his wife Kim Keon-hee (left)
First lady Jill Biden (right) and the wife of the Korean president, Kim Keon-hee (left), received a private tour Wednesday of the National Gallery of Art’s Rothko exhibits, complete with a visit with the late artist’s son
Guest Chef Edward Lee talks on a mobile phone outside the West Wing of the White House before the State Dinner on Wednesday night
But the most dramatic features is the over six-foot tall cherry blossoms that tower over the tables, giving a canopy of pink flowers for the guests to dine under.
The table setting uses the china from President George W Bush’s administration. The plate has a gold eagle in the center. Each napkin has a fresh flower blossom on it.
Some of the tables are made out of teal blue plexiglass, which reflects the cherry blossoms back to the guests.
The bamboo chairs have a blue covering that evoke traditional sumukhwa (Korean ink brush painting). The designs are branches with peonies, representing prosperity and joy, and bamboo elements, representing longevity and strength.
Peonies and the first lady of South Korea’s favorite flowers.
The are smaller vases of flowers as part of the table setting: Peonies, Orchids, Cherry Blossoms, and Azaleas (a native Korean flower). All are pink, red or white. Candles twinkle between the flower arrangements.
The entertainment portion of the evening consists of Broadway stars Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk performing American musical classics.
President Biden and Jill Biden formally welcomed President Yoon and first lady Kim to the White House on Wednesday morning with an arrival ceremony that included a review of the troops.
The welcome came as the United States sent nuclear-armed submarines to dock in South Korea for the first time in 40 years in a show of force aimed at deterring North Korean aggression.
It was part of the ‘Washington declaration’ the two leaders announced: a new agreement to strengthen extended deterrence, which is a US policy that uses the full range of military capabilities to defend its allies.
The deal is aimed at calming South Korean fears of an attack from its neighbor. The agreement will see Washington and Seoul coordinate more deeply on nuclear response strategy if North Korea attacks the South.
Control of the nuclear weapons will remain in U.S. hands, however, and no nuclear weapons are being deployed on South Korean shores.
The U.S. and South Korea will also engage in joint military exercises.
In return, South Korea will reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that pledged their cooperation to stem the spread of nuclear technology.
The U.S. president emphasized the close friendship with South Korea in his remarks.
‘We celebrate the ironclad alliance, shared vision of our future and the deep friendship with the United States, Republic of Korea and the United States,’ Biden said.
Provocative actions from North Korea, China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific and the recent leak of classified documents from the Pentagon topped the agenda when the two leaders met in the Oval Office.
‘I think our partnership is ready to take on any challenges,’ Biden said in the Oval Office.
Cherry blossoms tower over the tables for the state dinner
First lady Jill Biden (left) and South Korea’s Kim Keon-hee (center) take in the atrium of the East Building of the National Gallery of Art alongside the museum’s first female director, Kaywin Feldman (right)
Wednesday started on a note of pomp and circumstance with a formal welcome and military review on the South Lawn of the White House.
Yoon, in his remarks, paid tribute to the 70-year alliance between the two nations, and thanked the U.S. for fighting in the Korean War: ‘Our alliance is forged in blood as a fight for freedom. It’s not a transactional alliance. It’s an alliance of values for safeguarding freedom. It’s a global alliance for freedom, peace, prosperity.’
Yoon’s visit comes as Washington and Seoul are celebrating 70 years of the US-South Korea alliance.
It began when President Biden and first lady Jill Biden took Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee on a twilight tour of the Korean War Memorial on Tuesday evening.
The two couples met with Judy Wade, the niece of Corporal Luther Story, who was given the Medal of Honor posthumously in 1951 for his valiant actions during the Korean War.
During the battle of Yongsan in 1950, Story was credited with killing or wounding an estimated 100 enemy soldiers and kept members of his unit alive by throwing grenades at an enemy truck filled with soldiers and an ammunition trailer.
As his company tried to withdraw, he was wounded and was last seen ‘firing every weapon available’ to hold off another attack, according to his Medal of Honor citation.
Story was considered missing for 73 years until modern technology was able to identify his remains.
President Biden and President Yoon inspect the troops
The couples also exchanged gifts.
The Bidens presented Yoon and Kim with a small table made by an American furniture maker from mahogany and historical White House wood, which was inspired by traditional Korean soban tables.
A brass plaque marking the state visited will be included with the table, as will a vase filled with handmade paper hibiscus and rose flowers, crafted by a Korean-American artist.
Additionally, President Biden gave Yoon a shadow box filled with custom and vintage baseball memorabilia.
Dr. Biden gave Kim a pendant necklace with a trio of blue sapphires designed by a Korean-American designer.
The visit will capped with a black-tie state dinner on Wednesday night.
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