What did President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung urged North Korea and the United States to resume talks without delay, cast Seoul as the “pacemaker” for that dialogue, set out a step-by-step path to a nuclear-free peninsula, and proposed a coalition to keep energy routes such as Hormuz open.
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He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the second speaker of the afternoon session.
The speech in brief
- Talks. He credited President Trump with opening a chance for change, and said Seoul will work to start and sustain US and North Korea talks, leading to talks on formally ending the Korean War.
- Denuclearization in stages. First halt North Korea’s nuclear and missile advances, then reduce them, then reach a peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
- Living side by side. Respect for each other’s systems, restored communication channels, and “stable peaceful coexistence with no need to fight”.
- Energy routes. With the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea disrupted, he warned against turning trade routes into weapons and proposed a coalition of “constructive contributors”.
- K-Initiative. AI for a basic society, a green transition and energy supply solidarity.
In his own words
As a direct party to peace on the Korean Peninsula, and as a pacemaker, my government will exert every effort to open and sustain the path toward dialogue.
“I hope the long-suspended dialogue between North Korea and the US can resume without delay.”
“We will continue to respect the North on the international stage and seek cooperation wherever possible.”
“Is the United Nations today capable of saving humanity from war, poverty, and disaster?”
Worth knowing
- This was his second General Assembly speech. In 2025 he set out his “END” initiative for the peninsula.
Watch and read the full speech
The UN’s own video of the whole Day 1 session:
Watch Day 1 of the UNGA 81 general debate on the UN’s YouTube channel
UN Web TVWatch Day 1 of the general debate on UN Web TV
The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.
Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.
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