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Lee's big week in New York includes UN address, investor talks, but Trump summit unlikely

Published: 21 Sep. 2025, 16:02 Updated: 22 Sep. 2025, 12:24

SARAH KIM
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A view of the UN Security Council after a vote on a resolution that would permanently lift UN sanctions on Iran at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 19. President Lee Jae Myung will preside over an open debate of the Security Council on Sept. 24. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung will head to New York on Monday to make his United Nations debut, delivering an address at the General Assembly and presiding over an open debate of the Security Council on AI and international peace.

Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung will depart for a five-day trip to the United States on Monday, the second in a month, to attend the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a briefing at the Yongsan presidential office on Friday.

"This year marks both the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding and Korea's liberation" from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule, Wi said. "We would like to highlight our contributions to the agenda of peace, development and human rights as a responsible global power."

On the margins of the General Assembly, Lee will hold bilateral summits with leaders from at least five countries, including Uzbekistan, the Czech Republic, France, Italy and Poland, according to Wi.

However, another Korea-U.S. summit is not expected during this trip, Wi said, despite prolonged tariff negotiations, taking into consideration "complex scheduling issues." Lee held his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump last month in Washington, and the two leaders are expected to meet again on the margins of the APEC summit in Gyeongju in late October.

"It is unlikely that tariff negotiations will proceed on the occasion of the UN General Assembly," Wi said, addressing the delays in signing a trade agreement following a preliminary deal being reached in late July.

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump chat during their first bilateral summit at the White House in Washington on Aug. 25. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

In a recent interview with U.S. weekly magazine TIME, Lee spoke about the $350 billion investment fund for the United States, arguing that he "would be impeached" if he were to agree to all the strict demands Washington has made.

However, the two leaders could have an encounter at the United Nations, as Trump is also attending the General Assembly, he said.

Lee is likewise not expected to hold another summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whom he also met with last month in Tokyo.

On Monday, Lee will meet with Larry Fink, CEO and chairman of BlackRock and chair of the World Economic Forum, to discuss cooperation on AI and energy transition. He will also meet members of the U.S. Congress to explore ways to advance bilateral relations and later meet with the Korean community in New York.

On Tuesday, Lee will deliver a keynote address to the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York and is expected to present a return to democratic principles and outline his government's foreign policies, including his Korean Peninsula vision and Seoul's contributions to global peace and prosperity.

Lee is scheduled to speak seventh among over 190 heads of state scheduled to make addresses, Wi said.

Later in the day, Lee will hold talks with UN Secretary General António Guterres to discuss strengthening multilateralism in addressing global challenges and seek support for peace on the Korean Peninsula. He will later have dinner with U.S. diplomatic and security leaders.

On Wednesday, Lee will become the first Korean president to preside over an open debate at the UN Security Council and is expected to lead discussions on a coordinated global response to achieve peace and prosperity for the international community under the theme of "AI for all."

Lee's attendance comes as South Korea assumed the rotating presidency of the 15-member Security Council for September. South Korea has been serving as a non-permanent member of the council for a two-year term since last year and has held the presidency five times since joining the United Nations in 1991.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac speaks during a press briefing on President Lee Jae Myung's New York trip at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Sept. 19. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

This will be Lee's second multilateral forum after attending the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Canada in June shortly after taking office.

Wi said Lee at the UN would focus on South Korea's recovery from the 1950-53 Korean War, transformation from a recipient of aid to a donor country and more recently overcoming a "crisis in democracy" in reference to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's ultimately short-lived declaration of martial law in December.

On Thursday, Lee will attend the Korea investment summit in New York. He plans to present Korea's economic policies to global investors on boosting Korea's stock market and promoting the so-called "Korea Premium."

Wi said that "many major financial figures from Wall Street" will attend the event, which will be an occasion for Lee to "meet with key global investors, introduce our government's economic policies and request investment in Korea," he added.

First lady Kim will attend a series of events to promote Korean culture on the sidelines of the UN gathering.

The presidential couple will return to Korea on Friday.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]