President Lee Jae Myung (second from left) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung on Sept. 21 wave to the crowd at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, before their flight to New York for the United Nations General Assembly and a state visit to Mexico. (Cheong Wa Dae)

By Charles Audouin

President Lee Jae Myung on Sept. 21 arrived in New York to begin visits to the U.S. and Mexico.

Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul that day said the president on Sept. 22 will attend the high-level session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly and deliver a keynote speech at the venue.

On Sept. 23, he will hold talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge the world body to pay attention to and cooperate in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula. Cheong Wa Dae said the president will also hold separate meetings with leaders from countries like the U.S. and Australia.

Later that day, President Lee will attend the Korea Investment Summit, a gathering of economic and financial leaders from Korea and the U.S., to present Seoul's artificial intelligence (AI) policy and vision as well as capital market reforms to investors.

"Following the declaration of the 'return of a democratic Republic of Korea' at last year's U.N. General Assembly, we will use this year's session as an opportunity to share the pioneering policy experiences that we have cultivated over the past year as a global public good," Cheong Wa Dae said. "We will secure support from the U.N. and the international community for our policy of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

After concluding his schedule in New York, President Lee will pay a state visit to Mexico, the first to the country by a Korean leader since 2010.

He will attend a bilateral summit on Sept. 24 with Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum on cooperation across sectors such as trade and investment, energy and minerals, AI and digital technology, aerospace, the defense industry and expansion of Korean content.

On Sept. 25, President Lee will attend a business forum at the World Trade Center in Mexico City and visit the K-Expo venue.

Cheong Wa Dae said, "We will make thorough preparations to ensure that this state visit opens a new chapter in the bilateral strategic partnership formed in 2005 and serves as a firm milestone toward shared prosperity."

caudouin@korea.kr