South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s quirky comment on US lawmakers after his brief meeting with US President Joe Biden in New York has gone viral in South Korea.

Yoon’s comment was recorded by South Korean broadcaster MBC and posted on its official YouTube channel Thursday in Seoul.

In the video, Yoon is seen leaving the stage after his brief conversation with Biden at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference, held this Wednesday in New York.

As President Yoon addresses his aides, he can be heard saying, “It would be very embarrassing for Biden if those m***ers in the National Assembly (the US Congress) don’t approve of this. [proyecto de ley]”.

The clip of Yoon cursing led to speculation that Yoon was referring to President Biden’s pledge to contribute $6 billion to the Global Fund.

As part of President Biden’s 2023 budget, the administration pledged $2 billion a year for three years to the Global Fund that fights HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This budget must be approved by the US Congress.

A South Korean presidential official, briefing reporters on Thursday, called the incident a “private comment” and said it was inappropriate to link a private comment to a diplomatic outcome. The official also said it was unfortunate that this moment was criticized as the president pursued a difficult agenda in South Korea’s national interest.

Members of the opposition Liberal party are criticizing the president for what they call a diplomatic disaster.

“Diplomatic disasters are recurring under the Yoon Seok Yeol administration and this is due to the president’s repeated diplomatic incompetence,” party members said in a statement to the National Assembly on Thursday.

Asked about the issue in the country’s National Assembly, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said it was unclear what Yoon said.

“I don’t think I can draw a clear conclusion about the circumstances in which he (Yoon) said those words…but it seems no one clearly heard the content,” Han said.

The clip posted to YouTube had more than four million views Thursday night in Seoul, with more than 60,000 comments on the page, many of whom criticized Yoon’s comment.

“I am more concerned about the local impact of the diplomatic disaster, the isolation of the international community and the cut in economic cooperation that the president’s shamelessness could cause,” read a comment below the video.

“The explanation from the presidential office that this was a private comment when there are cameras everywhere is a legend,” read another comment.

Yoon, who was in London to attend the funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, arrived in New York on Monday evening to attend the United Nations General Assembly. He is due to return to Seoul on Saturday after his meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister.