President Lee Mentions 'Exchange, Normalization, and Denuclearization' in UN General Assembly Keynote Address
Advisor Wi: "The Three Elements Will Drive Each Other Forward... A Comprehensive Approach to the Korean Peninsula"
Advisor Wi: "Achievement
On September 23 (local time), National Security Advisor Wi Sunglak stated that the three elements of President Lee Jaemyung’s 'END Initiative,' as outlined in his keynote speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly-Exchange, Normalization, and Denuclearization-do not have a set order of priority or sequence. The 'END Initiative' is an idea named after the initials of these three elements in English.
At a press briefing held at the press center in New York, United States, Advisor Wi explained, "The three elements of the END Initiative will be promoted as a structure that drives each other forward," adding, "This comprehensive approach, centered on these principles, expresses our goal of resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula." Rather than pursuing these elements in stages, the intention is to advance all three simultaneously, coordinating and managing them so that progress in one area leads to advancements in the others. Advisor Wi further noted, "These three principles have also been emphasized in past inter-Korean agreements and in the North Korea-United States Singapore Statement adopted in 2018."
Advisor Wi assessed that President Lee’s participation in this UN General Assembly successfully enhanced South Korea’s stature as a restored democratic nation and a globally responsible power, implemented a people-centered governance approach at the international level, and accelerated practical diplomacy focused on national interests.
Regarding the elevation of South Korea’s status as a restored democratic nation and a globally responsible power, Advisor Wi said, "In his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly, President Lee delivered key messages to world leaders, including South Korea’s return to the international community as a democratic nation, calls for multilateral solutions to global challenges, South Korea’s role as a globally responsible power, and the virtuous cycle of exchange, normalization, and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula." He added, "After the speech, the UN Secretary-General also expressed support for President Lee’s 'END Initiative' for the Korean Peninsula and conveyed hopes that it will contribute to stability and peace on the peninsula."
Advisor Wi further stated, "Tomorrow (the 24th), President Lee will preside over an open debate at the UN Security Council on the theme of artificial intelligence (AI) and international peace and security, and is expected to showcase South Korea’s leadership in AI discussions as a globally responsible nation." About 80 countries, including the 15 member states of the Security Council, are expected to participate in this open debate.
Advisor Wi also highlighted achievements in implementing a people-centered economic agenda at the international level, such as holding a meeting with Larry Fink, Chairman of BlackRock at the World Economic Forum, and signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on AI and renewable energy infrastructure development. He said, "Through the MOU, we have begun in earnest to attract global investment in AI infrastructure," and added, "With the President of Uzbekistan, we discussed the entry of Korean companies into transportation infrastructure and critical minerals sectors, and with the President of the Czech Republic, we discussed the implementation of new nuclear power plant construction contracts, thereby continuing to advance people-centered economic policies even on the multilateral diplomatic stage."
On September 24, President Lee is also scheduled to hold meetings with the leaders of France, Italy, and Poland, where he will broadly discuss practical cooperation measures directly linked to business and economic development, aiming to deliver tangible results that citizens of both countries can feel in their daily lives.
He also stated that significant progress has been made in accelerating practical diplomacy focused on national interests. Regarding South Korea-United States relations, Advisor Wi said, "At a dinner with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and foreign and security opinion leaders, we discussed improvements to the visa system, tariff negotiations, and the future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance." He explained, "Through these efforts, we secured broad support from the U.S. Congress for the development of South Korea-U.S. relations and sought bipartisan backing for improvements to the visa system."
Furthermore, Advisor Wi analyzed that President Lee’s participation in this UN General Assembly marks the stabilization of summit diplomacy. He said, "President Lee’s attendance at the UN General Assembly, following his participation in the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in June after taking office, signifies that high-level summit diplomacy has entered a stable trajectory." He added, "We will continue to build on this momentum to ensure the successful progress of summit diplomacy in the second half of the year, including at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum."
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