SEOUL/TOKYO – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi left Monday for New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Lee is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Tuesday, where he is expected to present his administration’s vision for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula and discuss South Korea’s role in addressing global challenges.
During his three-day visit, Lee is also expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and seek talks with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders.
After New York, Lee is set to travel to Mexico for a state visit and talks with President Claudia Sheinbaum focusing on trade, investment and supply-chain cooperation.
Takaichi, meanwhile, departed for New York after a roughly four-hour delay caused by heavy rain and strong winds from Typhoon Dujuan in eastern Japan.
She is scheduled to deliver her first UN General Assembly address since taking office and is also expected to meet Trump on Tuesday.
Other Asian countries are likewise sending senior officials to the UN gathering. Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is due to deliver his first General Assembly address on Thursday, while Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to speak on Friday.
India will be represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is set to address the assembly on Saturday. Indonesia is sending Foreign Minister Sugiono, while Malaysia will be represented by Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.
Hasan is expected to reiterate Malaysia’s positions on UN Security Council reform and international peace and security during the General Debate.
