South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was caught in a profanity-laced hot mic moment after meeting with President Biden on Wednesday at the Global Fund conference in New York.
The two leaders posed for a photo there, after which Yoon was caught saying to his aides, "How could Biden not lose damn face if these f****rs do not pass it in Congress?"
Yoon's remark comes after Biden pledged $6 billion to the Global Fund, which fights AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
The sum would need congressional approval, though Biden signaled in his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly that such a contribution has bipartisan support.
Making the remarks about a key security ally, South Korea was quick to do damage control.
"He wasn't speaking publicly on the stage but in passing, and although I don't know who recorded it and how, I actually think it should be verified," a South Korean official told reporters afterward, according to Yonhap.
"I think it's highly inappropriate to draw a link between private remarks and diplomatic accomplishments," the official added, referring to criticism that Yoon had created a diplomatic disaster. "It's quite regrettable that a diplomatic disaster is being talked about over something like that when he is doing everything to complete a demanding schedule in the national interest of the Republic of Korea." (Fox News)
The video was viewed by millions just hours after it was posted and "f****rs" began trending on social media in South Korea.