President set to deliver keynote address at UN General Assembly on Tuesday

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung greet Cha Ji-hun, South Korea's ambassador to the UN, upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday (local time). [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung greet Cha Ji-hun, South Korea's ambassador to the UN, upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday (local time). [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung has arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Air Force One carrying Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday (local time).

After a day of rest, Lee is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

In his address, Lee plans to outline the direction of UN reform needed to tackle global challenges and South Korea's role in contributing to those efforts, while also presenting a blueprint for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

A key point of interest is whether Lee will hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the General Assembly. National Security Director Wi Sung-lac told reporters at a pre-trip briefing that "separate meetings in various formats with key leaders, including those of the United States and Australia, are planned."

With a major US investment announcement expected imminently and Washington pressing Seoul for a "contribution" related to the Strait of Hormuz, any summit between the two leaders would likely center on trade, investment and security issues.

Lee is also scheduled to attend an investor relations forum in New York under the banner "Korea Investment Summit 2026," where the government plans to brief global investors on South Korea's economic achievements over the past year and outline key political and economic policy initiatives going forward.


sang@heraldcorp.com