On September 23-29, 2025, President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae-myung participated in the General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
During his trip to New York, Lee presented a new peace initiative, held trade negotiations with the United States, and announced his country’s full return to the global stage after a period of turmoil.
Interview before the visit
On the eve of his trip, Lee gave an interview to Reuters in which he acknowledged the existing disagreements between the United States and South Korea regarding the $350 billion package of Korean investments in the US economy. Lee stressed that if his country produces this amount in cash and invests it in the United States without a currency swap, as required by Washington, Seoul will face a situation close to the 1997 financial crisis. In addition, Lee Jae-myung called for peaceful coexistence with the DPRK, China, and Russia and called for the de-escalation of tensions in the region, pointing to the growing confrontation between socialist and capitalist сountries and the risk that the Republic of Korea will be “at the forefront of the conflict.”
On the other hand, the president also noted that Seoul plans to increase its defense spending, and he has no serious disagreements with Washington on security issues.
Lee at the UN
In his speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the President of South Korea stated that the mere existence of the Republic of Korea is the main proof of the UN’s effectiveness. Now, according to him, South Korea, which has developed owing to the support and assistance of the United Nations, will not hesitate to assume the role of a leading country, generously sharing its experience and history of restoring democracy.
Furthermore, following the “Revolution of Light”, which opposed the rebellious government last winter and illuminated the spirit of the United Nations, “the new Republic of Korea, which will become a beacon of light for citizens around the world, has fully returned to the international community.”
This raises the question: has South Korea become a rogue state after the unsuccessful implementation of martial law? Has democracy won? Or is it President Lee who is experiencing problems with international recognition, for whom, according to various reports, the podium had to be specially changed so that his 172 cm height would not be noticeable?
The author noted that the president mentioned the conflict in Ukraine, which, along with climate change and the situation in the Middle East, is “threatening the survival of humanity”.
Adding to this, Lee presided over an open debate in the UNSC on artificial intelligence, becoming the first South Korean president to chair such a meeting. He did not say anything fundamentally important or new, except for one nice comparison: “Modern artificial intelligence is like a tiger cub. It can turn into a ferocious beast that will eat us or into the charming character Derpy from the K-POP Demon Hunters cartoon.”
Finally, Lee hosted the so-called Korean Investment Summit at the New York Stock Exchange, which was attended by the world’s leading asset managers and leaders in the field of private equity.
Speaking to global investors, Lee tried to reassure them by promising to reduce security risks on the Korean peninsula and strengthen investor confidence, noting that the South Korean stock market is undervalued due to the geopolitical risks associated with the inter-Korean military confrontation.
Contradictory statements on inter-Korean issues
President Lee mentioned North Korea more than once. First, from the UN tribune, he proposed another initiative with the beautiful name “E.N.D.”. As the name suggests, Lee Jae-myung plans to end the inter-Korean standoff through Exchange, Normalization, and denuclearization—something that cannot be achieved in the short term. “We intend to break the vicious cycle of unnecessary inter-Korean military tension and hostility.” The question of how exactly it will be possible to make the North normalize relations (especially given that Kim Jong Un personally voiced his reluctance to deal with South Korea) went unanswered. However, it is expected that this will be achieved “through various measures, including the potential resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang”.
Secondly, in the same speech, Lee stated that South Korea respects the system in which North Korea operates, does not seek unification through absorption, and will refrain from hostilities. The author’s colleagues quipped that, taking into account Articles 3 and 4 of the South Korean constitution, Lee’s statements could theoretically lead to his impeachment and could be used to charge him with treason. This cannot really be considered a conciliatory signal, as there must be very serious institutional steps backing such words.
Thirdly, at the investment summit, Lee Jae-myung said that North Korea seems to have enough nuclear weapons to maintain its regime, and it will soon be able to develop ICBMs. Moreover, there is a high probability that North Korea will export weapons to other countries, and the only way to avoid this is to put an “E.N.D.” to this…
Talks were held, but not with Trump
Lee Jae-myung was the third foreign leader to have to wait for President Donald Trump’s motorcade to pass through the streets of New York before being able to pass.
Although Lee did not meet with the US president (this seems symptomatic), he held talks with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and confirmed the need for a currency swap agreement to mitigate the potential impact of South Korea’s massive investment package in the United States. The meeting took place as Korean car manufacturers found themselves at a disadvantage in competing with foreign competitors in the US market, where they face increased tariffs. In response, Scott Bessent confirmed the strength of the alliance between South Korea and the United States and stated that despite the temporary difficulties, the proposals of the President of South Korea will be taken into account, and a global discussion of these issues will take place later.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Lee met with leaders of several countries, as well as representatives of the US business elite, including:
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Lee expressed support for UN reform and promised that South Korea would contribute to helping the organization become more effective and take on an even greater role in addressing global challenges. Guterres called Lee’s policy towards North Korea wise and promised active support from the United Nations.
- BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. Cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy sources was discussed, culminating in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the construction of data centers.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Developing cooperation in the field of AI and defense within the framework of the bilateral strategic partnership was discussed. Meloni stressed that the potential for expanding economic ties between the two countries is very high, expressed a desire to visit the country in the near future, and invited Lee Jae-myung to visit Italy.
- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with whom Lee discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, paying special attention to infrastructure and transport.
- President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel. Building cooperation in the field of tourism took center stage.
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki. The parties held closed talks, paying special attention to the defense industry, particularly armored vehicles. Lee expressed hope for expanding cooperation in this area through the participation of South Korea in the program for building submarines for the Polish Navy.
In summary, the author gets the feeling that although Lee Jae-myung is trying to maneuver (too obviously breaking promises and ruining his previous image while incurring domestic political problems), he may fail to do so. Trump perceived his flattery as a willingness to give in; however, he will continue to push, forcing him to take another step back.
Konstantin Asmolov, PhD in History, leading research fellow at the Centre for Korean Studies of the Institute of China and Modern Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences
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