President Obama, South Korean President speak at GM plant in Orion Township

ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - President Barack Obama and the President of South Korea spoke during a joint visit to the General Motors' Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township Friday.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was wearing a Detroit Tigers cap as he addressed the auto workers at the plant.

Myung-bak is visiting the United States to finalize details of a new free trade deal. He arrived at the White House Thursday, a day after a trade pact was approved by Congress.

During his speech Myung-bak praised the auto industry for their hard work.

“The reason I came here to see with own eyes good work you’re doing here. … You’re building excellent cars. I’m confident this factory is going to continue and make good cars and your lives are going to be good and I’m confident in the future,” Myung-bak said.

The deal with South Korea is expected to increase U.S. exports by $11 billion and support 70,000 jobs. it's expected to open Korea's market to more U.S. goods.

Myung-bak expressed to the crowd that more jobs would be created in the U.S. and not exported.

“Some might think … your jobs will be exported or go somewhere else. Let me tell you that’s not true. I’m here with President Obama today because I want to give this promise to you. The FTA will not take away any of your jobs. Rather it will create more jobs for you and your family and protect your jobs and this is the pledge I give you today. Soon Motor City will come back again and revive it’s past glory and I have all the confidence in the world that you’re going to do that.”

President Obama said one of his first decisions was to save the auto industry from collapse. When he spoke of this, he received a standing ovation.

“There were a lot of politicians who said it was not worth the time and not worth the money. There are some politicians who still say that. They should come tell that to the workers here in Orion. Two years ago it looked like this plant was going to have to shut its doors. All these jobs would have been lost and the entire community would have been devastated. The same was true for communities all across the Midwest. I refused to let that happen. We made a deal with the auto companies: If you are willing to retool and restructure and get more efficient, get better, get smarter -- then we’re going to invest in your future. Today I can stand here and say the investment paid off. The hundreds of thousands of jobs it saved made it work. An American auto industry that is more profitable and competitive than it has been in years made it work. The taxpayers are being repaid. Plants like this churning out groundbreaking, efficient cars like the Chevy Sonic.”

The trade deal is expected to have a positive impact on American automakers and President Obama says it will "level the playing field" in the auto industry.

It still needs approval from South Korea's legislature.