prolog

Chapter 1: Impedimenta
Chapter 2: Neilia
Chapter 3: Things that will last a lifetime
Chapter 4 The Door Opens
Chapter 5: Just give me 6 months
Chapter 6 Beginning
Chapter 7 Quality
Chapter 8 Transition
Chapter 9 You Can't Hurt Us
Chapter 10: Intellectual Struggle
Chapter 11 Must Win
Chapter 12 The Me I Dreamed of
Chapter 13: Only Time Will Tell
Participation in Chapter 14
Chapter 15: Hard work pays off.
Chapter 16: New Opportunities
Chapter 17 Darkness
Chapter 18: Prior Consent of the American People
Chapter 19 My Mistake
Chapter 20 Why?
Chapter 21: Promises to Keep

Acknowledgements
Kim Jun-hyung, President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy

The first autobiography of 2020 US presidential candidate Joe Biden
From his dramatic life to his political philosophy, the one and only book that will give you the most insight into him!

"A gripping story of life! You'll understand why it's Biden."_[New York Times]

Joe Biden, who was elected as the youngest senator in 1972, served as a senator for 36 years and vice president for 8 years, served under 7 presidents, declared his candidacy for president three times, and is now challenging to become the oldest president.
His first autobiography, "Promises to Keep," which is a special and historic memoir and contains his commitment and beliefs about the responsibilities and vision that a leader must have, has been published.
From his childhood stuttering to his rise to political power, Joe Biden's tumultuous life and 50-year political journey are portrayed with honesty and vividness through his voice.

Professor Ahn Byeong-jin of Kyunghee University explained his reasons for recommending this book now as follows:
“We surprisingly don’t know much about Joe Biden’s inner world.
His unique autobiography, which vividly portrays his eventful life, serves as a compass for understanding America's future transformation.
“A meaningful book that helps us understand America’s hidden power and the value of democracy.” (Professor Byung-jin Ahn, Institute for Future Civilization, Kyung Hee University)
The Korean edition includes an introduction by Kim Jun-hyung, the director of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, which includes the bromance with President Obama during his time as vice president from 2009 to 2016, the background to his decision to run for president again, and an analysis of the 2020 presidential election, to help readers understand.

"Balanced Pragmatism": Biden's Political Beliefs and Philosophy
And a look into the mechanisms and essence of American politics

“This book contains Biden’s perspective on American politics, and features Biden, who led American politics.” —Seo Jeong-geon, Professor of Political Science and Diplomacy, Kyung Hee University

Throughout his 36 years in the Senate, Biden maintained a pragmatic, centrist stance, unfazed by ideology.
Rather than following ideological causes, Biden considered practical issues, and that was precisely what he set out to achieve when he entered politics.
Despite being significantly younger than his fellow senators, he remained swayed by political expediency and partisanship, voting based on his principles rather than political allegiance.
Biden's moderate stance on new abortion laws following the Supreme Court's ruling outlawing abortion and on mandatory school busing following desegregation are clear examples of his political convictions.

Because of this centrist stance, Biden has always been attacked by both progressives and conservatives, but he has stuck to his political beliefs and philosophy to the end.
Through this, each and every one of them demonstrates an exemplary role and attitude as a member of the Senate, a constitutional body.
He vividly recalls the process of how he engaged other lawmakers and formed political alliances to pass the bill he proposed during the bill review process, which focused on major agenda items, and how he persuaded citizens and women's groups who were skeptical of his intentions.

This book also vividly portrays the behind-the-scenes workings of American politics through the memoirs of Joe Biden, who served as a senator and served under seven presidents.
Beyond Biden's assessment of past presidents, the book delves into the hidden, behind-the-scenes story of American politics, detailing how the legislative branch checks and balances the executive branch, shares information and policies, achieves compromise and cooperation, and how each plays its own role in governing.
President Reagan invited Biden, who had been embroiled in a Supreme Court case, to the White House to persuade him to join his side. In return, Biden constantly pressured Clinton, a fellow party president, and ultimately forced the United States to intervene militarily in the Kosovo civil war.
President Bush also called in Biden, a member of the opposition party, and asked him frankly for advice on his European tour.

On the other hand, there are also scenes that show the deepening political division in the United States and the one-sidedness of the administration.
Biden points out that the administration's unilateralism, which began in the latter half of the Bush administration, led to the disastrous failure in Iraq, and warns against the president's abuse of power, emphasizing the importance of cooperation.


Will America move with the world?
Biden's Vision for the Presidency and His Promise for a Better World

“Biden is, above all, the empathetic leader that today’s chaotic new normal era truly needs.
If politics is a mechanism for reconciling conflicting claims, Biden is the perfect candidate.” _Kim Jun-hyung, President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy

Depending on who is elected as the President of the United States, Korea will be directly affected in all aspects, including politics, economy, society, and diplomacy.
Among these, what policy the United States will adopt in foreign policy, especially in relations with North Korea, is the issue we are most curious about.
This book features various episodes that provide a glimpse into Biden's fundamental principles and attitudes toward diplomacy.

“Why is your friend Kim Dae-jung so angry?” President Bush leaned down and patted my knee, reenacting a scene he had had with the South Korean president in the Oval Office a few months earlier.
“All I told him was that I couldn’t trust that little communist (North Korean leader Kim Jong-il) over there.” (…) You clearly told him without mercy.
'Well, this Sunshine Policy is a failure.
We're out.' Mr. President, you've clearly put him in an awkward position.
Because of that, he got into trouble in Korea.
I think that's why he was upset." (from the text)

Biden's conversation with President Bush about former President Kim Dae-jung will be of great interest to Korean readers.
Despite President Bush's sudden question about his hard-line approach toward North Korea, Biden remained unfazed and objectively conveyed South Korea's position.
Biden, a foreign policy expert who has twice served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasizes the importance of field presence and direct encounters with leaders.
So, while advocating for airstrikes against Serbia, Biden visited Serbia in person to meet with Milosevic and made several risky visits to Iraq.
Biden emphasizes the role of the president as a prepared president, talking about what the president must prepare for.
Biden says the president gets a lot of information about the issue from his staff, but ultimately, the final choice and decision is his.
And the responsibility for that also lies with the President.
Having witnessed the successes and failures of seven presidents, Biden maintains his own firm view of the presidency and vision, without relying on his staff.
In this book, Biden clearly articulates his vision for the America he dreams of.
What Biden consistently says is that the United States must fulfill its responsibilities and role in the world befitting the world's most powerful nation.
He criticizes the increasingly deepening America First policy and asserts that it is not the job of the United States, now a world power, to only pursue its own interests.
Biden says the U.S. government should serve as a springboard for more Americans.
He expressed his ambition that citizens should have access to health and equal opportunities, and that the future of children should be protected.
This is also the reason why he is taking on his final challenge again at the advanced age of 78.
Biden still has promises to keep, for a better world and a future for our children.


Joe Biden's turbulent life story: "Resilience"—a first for Joe Biden.
The story of tragedy and overcoming that shaped Joe Biden.

“Great person, great life, great family.
“It seems that America has never needed the intelligence, compassion, knowledge, and leadership he possesses as much as it does now.” —Amazon Book Review

Just as Joe Biden the politician, the dramatic roller coaster-like life story of Joe Biden the human being is also attracting attention.
This is because it clearly shows how the life trajectory of success and frustration, tragedy and overcoming that permeated Biden as a person influenced him as a politician and shaped his beliefs, humanity, and philosophy.

America is full of political powerhouses who possess both wealth and power.
In contrast, Biden, who came from a "dirt spoon" family with no relatives who had gone to college, had to face society literally bare-handed.
He was the first in his family to go to college, quit a successful law firm to become a public defender, and entered politics as a county council member.
Biden has worked his way up from the bottom, working on his own, but at the same time, following his own beliefs and principles.

The first event that changed his life was the 1972 Senate election.
When Republican Senator Caleb Boggs, who had not lost a race in Delaware in over 20 years, announced that he would run for Senate again instead of retiring, no Democrats wanted to run against him.
Then, Joe Biden, then 29 years old, boldly threw down the gauntlet.
Although he was no match for Biden in terms of career, fame, or financial resources, he campaigned by going door-to-door to a tea party and drinking ten cups of coffee a day, using a "coffee time" strategy, and mobilizing his entire family to meet voters one-on-one.
And the results of the vote count show that he achieved a miraculous victory by a margin of 1%.
But just a month after his miraculous victory, a tragic accident befell Biden.
Biden's wife, Neilia, and their newborn daughter, who had supported him and been his greatest strength throughout his hopeless election run after graduating from law school and choosing politics over money, passed away in a car accident.
Even in despair, to the point of considering extreme measures, Biden began his Senate career by traveling between the hospital and Washington, caring for his two seriously injured sons.
Just like the life lesson his father passed down to him, he didn't just collapse and give up, but he gradually picked himself up from his broken body, rebuilt his family, and grew into a respectable senator.
In 1988, with sufficient experience and confidence, Biden declared his candidacy for president, but was forced to withdraw from the Democratic presidential primary due to a plagiarism controversy in a speech. Soon after, he suffered a cerebral aneurysm, facing the biggest crisis of his life once again.
However, after enduring multiple risky surgeries and a long rehabilitation process, he matures to a higher level.
After recovering, Biden became more energetic and pushed for the Violence Against Women Act to pass despite skeptical colleagues.
Externally, he successfully made a political comeback by persuading passive administrations and European countries to resolve the terrible tragedy of the Yugoslav Civil War and the Kosovo crisis.