'Chuseok Holiday' President Moon Attends UN General Assembly...Summit Meetings with Vietnam and Slovenia (Comprehensive)

No Scheduled US President-South Korea Summit... Interview with ABC, Discussing BTS and Future Generations

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in will visit New York, USA, from the 19th to the 21st during the Chuseok holiday period to attend the 76th United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting. Departing on the 19th, President Moon will move to Honolulu, Hawaii, after completing the UN General Assembly schedule to attend the Korea-US remains repatriation ceremony. President Moon will set a record of attending the UN General Assembly throughout his 5-year term.

During this UN General Assembly, President Moon is scheduled to hold summit talks with Vietnam, Slovenia, and others. Additionally, the Blue House is reportedly preparing additional summit meetings with other participating countries of the UN General Assembly. However, a Korea-US summit meeting with US President Joe Biden is not expected to be arranged.

A senior Blue House official stated on the 15th, "The schedule includes delivering a keynote speech at the UN General Assembly, attending the SDG Moment (Sustainable Development Goals High-level Meeting), bilateral talks with Vietnam and Slovenia, meeting with the UN Secretary-General, a meeting with the Pfizer chairman, and an interview with US ABC News," adding, "In Honolulu, the president will attend the Korea-US remains repatriation ceremony and a medal awarding ceremony for independence patriots."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The SDG Moment is an annual UN event aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the international community. The Blue House explained that President Moon is the only national leader invited to the opening session, symbolizing his representation of UN member states.

Notably, BTS, appointed as the 'Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture,' will participate in this event alongside President Moon.

During his visit to the US, President Moon is scheduled to have an interview with ABC News, reportedly focusing on topics related to BTS and future generations. A Blue House official explained, "He will mainly talk about communication with future generations represented by BTS, the pandemic, and climate change," and added, "The interview will focus on the rapidly rising soft power of the Republic of Korea."

Summit meetings with UN General Assembly participating countries have so far been agreed upon with Vietnam and Slovenia. A senior Blue House official said, "The bilateral meeting with President Borut Pahor of Slovenia will be the second since the meeting during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics," and explained, "It is significant as Slovenia is planning to open an embassy in Korea this year ahead of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year."

Furthermore, discussions will be held to deepen the Korea-EU strategic partnership with Slovenia, which is currently serving as the EU Council Presidency in the second half of this year.

The meeting with UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres will be the sixth. The Blue House expects this to be an opportunity to confirm active support for efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and to strengthen cooperation in addressing global issues such as climate change, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.

On the 21st, President Moon will meet with the Pfizer chairman and attend the Korea-US vaccine cooperation agreement signing ceremony. During the meeting with the Pfizer chairman, he will express gratitude for efforts to supply COVID-19 vaccines and request stable vaccine supply for next year and expansion of future cooperation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House explained, "Following meetings with representatives of Moderna, AstraZeneca, and CureVac, this meeting with the Pfizer chairman means that our president will have personally met with the heads of all major global vaccine companies."

The summit with Vietnamese President Nguy?n Xu?n Ph?c will be the first face-to-face summit since President Moon's state visit to Vietnam in 2018.

The Blue House stated, "Vietnam, a key partner of our New Southern Policy and currently serving as the ASEAN Dialogue Coordinator since August this year, will reaffirm close cooperation in various fields including trade, investment, health, and infrastructure."

Meanwhile, in his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly, President Moon plans to explain the government's vision and policies for overcoming global crises such as COVID-19 and climate change and for inclusive recovery. He will also express his commitment to continuing dialogue and cooperation efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula and improving inter-Korean relations.

After completing his schedule in New York, President Moon will travel to Hawaii to attend the Korea-US remains repatriation ceremony. The Blue House explained, "The remains of US soldiers who died in the Korean War will be repatriated to their home country, and the remains of our soldiers resting in Hawaii will be returned to Korea." President Moon is expected to arrive in Seoul on the night of the 23rd, immediately after the Chuseok holiday.