President Moon to Depart on 19th, Delivers Keynote Speech at UN General Assembly Highlighting Peace Message for the Korean Peninsula

Vietnam and Slovenia Summit Meetings Scheduled... Participation in Hawaii 'Korea-US Mutual Transfer Ceremony of Remains'

[Asia Economy Reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in will travel to New York, USA on the 19th to attend the 76th United Nations General Assembly. On his way back, he will stop by Hawaii. President Moon plans to deliver a message on peace on the Korean Peninsula and the improvement of inter-Korean relations related to the 30th anniversary of the simultaneous UN membership of North and South Korea during his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly.

President Moon will attend the UN General Assembly for the fifth consecutive year since his inauguration (last year was a virtual meeting). Especially this year, his participation in the ‘SDG Moment (Sustainable Development Goals High-Level Meeting)’ alongside the idol group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) is expected to attract attention from various countries.

The Blue House is carefully planning to use this UN General Assembly attendance to publicize South Korea’s efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and to garner support and interest from the international community. Additionally, it plans to present a vision for overcoming global crises such as COVID-19, climate change, and inequality, thereby confirming South Korea’s elevated status in the international community.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, missile provocations that emerged ahead of the UN General Assembly are expected to become a variable. The government’s plan to use September, which holds significant events for inter-Korean relations such as the 30th anniversary of the simultaneous UN membership of North and South Korea and the 3rd anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, as an opportunity to resume dialogue has faced obstacles.

While North Korea launched cruise missiles on the 11th and 12th and then fired a ballistic missile using a train, South Korea succeeded in testing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) for the seventh time in the world (eighth including North Korea).

President Moon will give an interview with the US ABC network in New York and participate in a South Korea-US mutual transfer ceremony for war remains in Hawaii. He plans to repatriate the remains of Korean war dead from Hawaii to South Korea. After completing his schedule in Hawaii, President Moon is expected to return home on the 23rd.