President Lee’s UN trip to highlight AI and Peace

President Lee Jae-myung will visit New York from Sept. 22 to 26 to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. At the assembly, he will deliver a keynote speech presenting his vision for the Korean Peninsula and, for the first time as a South Korean president, preside over an open debate of the U.N. Security Council.

National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac said during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan on Sept. 19, “Through President Lee’s substantive debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage at the U.N. General Assembly, we will work to ensure that relations with major countries are strengthened and that confidence in South Korea’s economy is elevated, so that comprehensive results can be achieved.”

On the first day of his arrival, Sept. 22 local time, President Lee will meet with Larry Fink, chief executive officer of BlackRock and co-chair of the World Economic Forum, to discuss ways of cooperating on artificial intelligence and the energy transition. On Sept. 23, Lee will deliver the seventh keynote address among the 196 heads of state at the General Assembly. Wi said, “President Lee is expected to speak about the fundamental approach to the issue of North Korea’s denuclearization.”

On Sept. 24 local time, he will, for the first time as a South Korean president, preside directly over an open debate of the U.N. Security Council in his capacity as its chair. The topic will be “Artificial Intelligence and International Peace and Security.” On the final day, Sept. 25, President Lee will preside over a national investment forum in Manhattan, New York, where he plans to call on economic and financial figures from Wall Street to invest in South Korea.

During his stay in New York, President Lee will hold summit talks with leaders including those of France and Italy from the Group of Seven (G7), as well as with the leaders of the Czech Republic and Poland. No summit with U.S. President Donald Trump is planned.

However, the government is reportedly seeking to arrange state visits to South Korea by the U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping in connection with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju at the end of next month. Preparations are said to include a meeting between Trump and Lee in Seoul before the APEC summit, and a meeting between Xi and Lee in Seoul after the summit.


Hoon-Sang Park tigermask@donga.com