Now, before I get to far into this, I just want to explain a little about myself to warn you all before you all start reading. I am going to be a little more critical than I normally would be when writing about a speech or event the I would attend. I am a registered Republican and voted against Obama and Biden in the past election (would have voted against them twice if I was of age the first time around). Now don't get me wrong, I am not going to give you a lecture on how the Right is superior and that the Left is just made up of disillusioned monkeys, because that is not right. Both sides have their strong points as well as their weaknesses. My personal beliefs and the goals that I have for my country just tend to fall closer to the side of the Conservatives more so than my fellow generational peers. So I did go into this speech with a critical and, I hate to say it, a slightly confrontational mind set about what Mr. Biden was going to be talking about. But I did not want to come across as the raging conservative that most people automatically think of when they hear that someone is a Republican. I did not wear any blue, and kept my red down to just a belt and my scarf, other than that I kept it neutral with a black dress and tights.
I had met up with some friends at the student union and sat with them while they ate lunch so that we could all walk over together. When we got to the venue at 12:30 there was already a group of people outside taking pictures of all the news trucks and police officers. We were directed to the entrance with our passports and tickets in hand. Inside we were subjected to TSA like screenings, but a little bit more intense; no liquids at all ( my friend's TSA approved bottle of Purrel was confiscated)and had to go through super sensitive metal detectors as well as a wand search.
We were on the balcony with a side view of the platform and the windows to our backs. We were seated around 1:15. Well we were sitting there for a really long time. The doors closed at 1:30 and the speech was suppose to start at 2, but at 2:15 we were still waiting. One of my friends sitting next to me, who is also looking into the State Department, and I passed the time guessing and finding high ranking officials down on the floor and making jokes that the speech delay was really a show of power form the US to show the other countries that the US was the hegemonic power in our alliance and that by delaying it, we were displaying our power (all jokes, but I still thought it was slightly funny). I had noticed that the police outside on the street had doubled and had started to line the street. because my attention was on the window adn everyone else was focused to the floor, I was able to see the brigade of security cars and also Biden's car drive up around 2:30 pm. Man there were so many cars! There was about four or five security cars with I don't know how many SWAT guys (or the Korean equivalent, like 3 police cars, 3 cars just for Biden and his posse, and then a mini bus with reporters that followed him from where ever he came from (the Embassy maybe? Meeting with the Korean President?).
The speech started at 2:45 an opened with a introduction from the President of Yonsei University, a very very short moment of silence for the late Nelson Mandela and Biden apologizing for being over 20 minutes late for the speech. I had already knew that he was going to address in his speech because of the growing tensions between Japan (a US ally) and China over a set of island to the South of Korea, added to the fact that the US has been sending more troops and military tech to Japan over the years. It was pretty much a talk to reassure the continuation of the US-ROK alliance and continued US presence in the regions with lots of "Go USA" and " Korea is so greats." It was really dis-jointed and jumped form one point to another with out any real flow between the points.
It was really: peace, love, and flowers-> military is the key and the US will defend our allies with military power-> peace, love, and flowers-> economy growth-> Non of modern Korea would be possible with out the US-> military power-> Nelson Mandela and peace-> Women's rights-> his family-> Irish blessing-> closing.
If you really want to know more in depth about what he said, you can read my notes below (if you can read my sloppy cursive) or I am sure that there is a copy of the speech on YouTube soon:
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After the speech, a few of us CIEE members waited off to the side to wait for Biden to leave/look at all the high ranking people get into their cars. We also got to see the extent of the security for the event--guys there were snipers on the roofs of the surrounding building, SNIPERS!!! There was even a scuffle across the street form us between two guys, nothing really serious, but I did see some of the security guards pulling apart two groups of people. When Biden's car drove past, he waved to us. Now this may not sound like much, but we were off to the side by a tree, hard to see, but I think it was because we were a group of foreigners right by the exit or the parking lot and also standing near the One Star Mexican General (plus my friend was waving) that we caught Biden's eye and he waved at us.
Like I said, he is not my favorite person and I may disagree on some of his and Mr. Obama's domestic and International policies, but this was a one in a lifetime experience. I am glad that I got the chance to attend, because back home in the States, it is almost impossible to attend a speech that intimate with the country's leaders with out pulling on some major contacts.
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