"Born in 1980, U.S. Lawmaker Says 'Nuna, Thank You for Your Hard Work'... Surprise Korean Greeting Echoes in House Chamber"

Blake Moore, Republican Congressman
Recognized as a Leading Pro-Korea Lawmaker

"Thank you, Young Oak Kim. You've worked hard, and please continue to do so."

During the House plenary session held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on the 8th (local time), these words in Korean resonated through the chamber. Blake Moore, a Republican Representative from Utah who was presiding over the session that day, addressed his fellow Republican and Korean American colleague, Young Kim from California, by calling her "nuna" in Korean. Born in 1962, Representative Kim is older than Representative Moore, who was born in 1980, making the use of this Korean honorific based on traditional age hierarchy both accurate and culturally significant. It was an unprecedented moment in which a U.S. lawmaker addressed a colleague as "nuna" during a plenary session.

Republican Representative Blake Moore. Representative Moore X (X)

Representative Moore is known as one of the most prominent pro-Korea members in Congress. He previously served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) in Seoul during his university years and states on his LinkedIn profile that he is proficient in Korean. He is also known to have close relationships with Korean American lawmakers, including Representative Kim, whom he addressed as "nuna."

This is not the first time the close friendship between Representatives Kim and Moore has been highlighted. Previously, Representative Kim paid tribute to Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term Republican member of the House who passed away on January 6, recalling, "Doug was the only member of Congress who called me by my Korean name, 'Young Oak Kim.'" She continued, "He didn't have to do that, but that small yet thoughtful gesture meant the world to me and showed what kind of person Doug was," honoring the late lawmaker.

After Representative Kim finished her remarks, Representative Moore once again called her by her Korean name, "Young Oak Kim," and addressed the late Representative LaMalfa by saying, "Doug, are you watching?"

Young Kim, Republican Representative from California and Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, is giving a speech at the 'Korean American Day' commemorative event hosted by the Korean American Grassroots Council (KAGC) on the 8th (local time) at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Meanwhile, Representative Kim, now serving her third term in Congress, was born in Incheon and entered the House in 2020. Since then, she has been active on the Foreign Affairs Committee, which addresses issues related to U.S.-Korea diplomacy, consistently emphasizing the importance of strengthening the U.S.-Korea alliance, and has been actively engaged in matters concerning her homeland and the Korean Peninsula.