Biden to attend UN General Assembly next month

U.S. President Joe Biden will attend the United Nations General Assembly next month, the White House announced Thursday. Having received an invitation, if President Yoon Suk-yeol decides to participate in the meeting, the leaders of the two allies will more likely hold a summit four months after their meeting in May.

“President Biden will visit New York on Sept. 18 to attend the United Nations General Assembly,” the White House announced on the day. President Biden will deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 20, and reportedly hold summit talks with the leaders of major countries who participate in the UN General Assembly during his visit to New York.

President Yoon is also expected to attend the UN General Assembly and give a speech for the first time since his inauguration. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Korea on August 12 and suggested President Yoon attend the General Assembly. President Yoon said, “The Republic of Korea will play its roles and responsibilities in the field of climate change, development cooperation, peacemaking and human rights to live up to the nation’s stature.”

If Yoon attends the General Assembly, chances are reportedly high that he will hold his second summit with President Biden. “We will soon consult with Washington about whether President Yoon and President Biden can hold a summit meeting,” a source at the presidential office said.

If the two leaders hold their second summit, they will more likely focus their discussions on North Korea’s nuclear issue and economic issues including semiconductors. Since Washington openly expressed its support of the ‘audacious plan’ suggested by Yoon at his Liberation Day speech, the two leaders may come to discuss some details on roadmap towards North Korea’s denuclearization. “There is a high chance that President Yoon’s speech at the UN General Assembly includes the ‘audacious plan,’ and we are making a draft of his speech.”

Both Yoon and Biden attended the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain in June, but they did not hold a summit separately.


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