In a keynote address to the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22 local time, Lee presented three directions for peaceful coexistence on the peninsula: inclusive peaceful coexistence grounded in mutual respect, stable peaceful coexistence in which there is no need to fight, and responsible peaceful coexistence that contributes to world peace.
He first said the two Koreas should respect each other's systems, acknowledge their differences and pursue joint growth. On the international stage, he said, South Korea will respect North Korea and widen points of contact starting with areas where cooperation is possible, such as health, disaster response and the climate crisis. At the same time, he pledged to restore basic communication channels between the two Koreas and build institutional mechanisms to prevent crises and manage conflict.
Ultimately, he reaffirmed the goal of ending the state of war on the peninsula and establishing a peace regime. Lee stressed that discussions on a peace regime would be "a highly useful framework that promotes not only the normalization of relations among the parties but also joint growth through multilateral cooperation and stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia."
Lee also emphasized an expanded role for South Korea on global issues. He presented three visions under a "K-Initiative": a global AI basic society, a green transformation and solidarity for global energy supply chains. Citing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere, he stressed that free and safe passage through international straits is a right guaranteed by international law.
He also proposed a "coalition of constructive contributors," in which countries with the capacity and will to act cooperate first. The idea is to restore trust in multilateralism by expanding cooperation in areas where each country has strengths, while respecting the existing international order and the U.N. system.
[Full text] President Lee presents "K-Initiative" vision and blueprint for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula
First, let me express my gratitude and respect to the U.N. member states and U.N. staff who are devoting themselves to a future of shared prosperity for humanity. I sincerely congratulate President Khalilur Rahman on assuming the presidency of the 81st session, and I also extend my thanks and respect to Secretary-General António Guterres for his efforts over the past decade.
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, and distinguished representatives, the history of the United Nations, which has defended human dignity and opened paths for future generations, now stands on a grave test. The glacial flooding in Nepal has taken countless lives and destroyed people's livelihoods. It laid bare the fact that the climate crisis is a problem of today.
Armed conflicts around the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East, threaten the survival of humanity. New technologies, including drones, are rapidly changing the nature of war and posing serious challenges to human rights and the international legal order.
Tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz are shaking even the basic principle of "free and safe navigation," seriously increasing instability in energy supply chains. "The United Nations was created not to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell." Before these words left by Dag Hammarskjöld, the second U.N. secretary-general, we must ask ourselves:
Is today's United Nations truly saving humanity from war, poverty and disaster? Is it properly fulfilling its promise to keep the peace and achieve sustainable development? Paradoxically, the geopolitical crises brought on by upheaval in the international order are reminding us how precious multilateral cooperation and international norms are as assets.
In an age of fragmentation in which nations compete fiercely for immediate survival, values such as cooperation, mutual prosperity and solidarity may ring hollow. But like the visionaries who designed the United Nations amid the fires of war, the deeper the crisis, the more we must return to the founding spirit of the United Nations.
"Korea rose on the solidarity of the international community, will lead in the U.N. spirit"
A year ago, from this podium, I proudly declared that the Republic of Korea, a beacon for global citizens, had returned to the international community. Today, from this same podium, I wish to clearly state the bold resolve of the Republic of Korea — which rose to its feet on the solidarity of the international community — to lead the way in restoring the spirit of the United Nations and reconnecting the world.
The global spread of K-culture is one example that demonstrated the possibility of connection, proving that universal human empathy is possible. Stories and content that began from Korea's own particular experience have become a "language of solidarity" that transcends borders.
Just as culture connected people to people, nations too can be reconnected in the face of common problems. The Republic of Korea intends to expand the power of empathy and solidarity we witnessed in the cultural sphere into a force for solving humanity's common challenges. Let me speak about three visions of the "K-Initiative" that will turn that promise into reality.
"A global AI basic society that excludes no one"
First, a "global AI basic society." The artificial intelligence revolution is both a great opportunity and a crisis for humanity. It is a core driver of new prosperity and sustainable development, but without proper preparation, inequality and imbalance will clearly worsen. In particular, because the pace of change is overwhelming, young people around the world are anxious about jobs and their future. The standard we must set for this new era is clear.
It is an "AI basic society" in which everyone shares in the benefits of technological progress. Beginning with "AI basic healthcare," Korea is pursuing an AI transformation that will robustly guarantee basic rights across diverse areas of life, including social security, labor, housing and culture. This aligns with the core spirit of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, which put forward the principle of "leaving no one behind."
It also means harnessing the AI revolution as a new driver to accelerate the realization of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR). To share this vision with the international community, Korea will create a "Global AI Hub," a platform for cooperation among international organizations, multilateral development banks, industry and academia.
The Republic of Korea envisions a "global AI basic society" in which no country and no person is excluded from the basic benefits of AI development, and we will lead efforts to make artificial intelligence an excellent tool for solving humanity's shared challenges, including the climate crisis, health, food and refugees.
"Carbon neutrality will create a virtuous cycle of growth drivers and jobs"
Second, the "green transformation." The climate crisis is often called "a group project shared by 8 billion people." It is a problem that can never be solved by one country's efforts alone, and an approach that requires abandoning growth cannot bring many nations on board.
Korea has set its 2035 national greenhouse gas reduction target and is actively participating in the Paris Agreement and U.N.-centered efforts to address the climate crisis. At the same time, through the "Korean-style green transformation (K-GX) strategy," we will transform our industrial structure and open a virtuous cycle in which carbon neutrality leads to new growth drivers and quality jobs. We will generously share the experience and results gained in this process with the international community, and through the 4th U.N. Ocean Conference, to be co-hosted with Chile in 2028, we will lead discussions on sustainable ocean development.
"Weaponizing key energy corridors shows how badly daily life can be shaken"
Third, solidarity for global energy supply chains. The repeated maritime blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea have laid bare how severely the daily lives of people worldwide can be shaken when key corridors for energy and logistics are weaponized.
Free and safe passage through international straits is a right guaranteed by international law and a firm foundation supporting the global economy. Attacking merchant vessels and threatening the lives and safety of crew members cannot be justified for any reason.
Korea will actively make use of existing cooperative frameworks, including the International Energy Agency, while further tightening cooperation on energy supply chains so that supply chain crises do not spread into global economic and livelihood crises.
Quite obviously, these challenges cannot be solved by Korea alone. Nor can we sit idle waiting until every nation agrees on a single solution. What is needed now, and what is most realistic, is for countries with the capacity and will to supply global public goods to join hands first and widen the space for cooperation.
"Attacks on merchant ships cannot be justified for any reason"
I would like to call this a "coalition of constructive contributors." This is not about creating a new exclusive body or exclusive group. While respecting the existing international order and the functions of the United Nations, it means cooperating in flexible and open ways in areas where each country has its own strengths, and gradually expanding that scope. When the results of cooperation created in this way — "separately yet together" — accumulate, we will be able to restore our trust in multilateralism beyond geopolitical competition, deadlock and fragmentation.
The United Nations must also change in step with the times. Agreements reached in conference halls must translate into change on the ground, and global citizens must be able to feel those results in their lives. Duplication of organizations and programs must be reduced, decision-making must be faster, and limited resources must be concentrated where they are most desperately needed. The Republic of Korea supports the "UN80 Initiative," which aims for a United Nations that is more efficient, more field-oriented and more results-driven than it is today.
We also support Security Council reform to make the council operate more effectively, more democratically and more accountably. Korea will fulfill its responsibilities and role so that tangible results global citizens can feel are produced across the three pillars of the United Nations — peace, development and human rights. Through the Busan Global Partnership Forum, we will support inclusive growth, share historical experiences such as the Saemaul Undong, and continue sustainable and innovative investment.
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, and distinguished delegates, when it comes to peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Republic of Korea knows better than anyone the change the United Nations has created. Thirty-five years ago, South and North Korea became U.N. member states together, right here.
"A new journey begins toward a Korean Peninsula of peaceful coexistence and joint growth"
It cannot be denied that this was a decisive turning point that laid the groundwork for peaceful coexistence, breaking away from the competition and confrontation that had persisted since division. Last year, from this podium, I said we would begin a new journey toward "a Korean Peninsula of peaceful coexistence and joint growth."
Today, along the path of that new journey, I wish to declare before the international community three blueprints that set out the direction of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.
First, inclusive peaceful coexistence grounded in mutual respect. On the basis of respecting each other's systems and acknowledging our differences, the two Koreas will seek joint growth through cooperation. On the international stage as well, we will respect the North and cooperate where cooperation is possible. I hope a path opens for cooperating at the level of the international community on issues such as health, disasters and the climate crisis.
Second, stable peaceful coexistence in which there is no need to fight. We will build institutional mechanisms to prevent crises and manage conflict. I believe that restoring basic communication channels first and building trust will be the first step toward stable peaceful coexistence.
Third, responsible peaceful coexistence that contributes to world peace. Going beyond a Korean Peninsula free of war and nuclear weapons, we will promote stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia and actively join efforts toward a world free from war and conflict.
Above all, the most essential task is to end the long war on the Korean Peninsula and establish a peace regime. A peace regime on the peninsula is a core task whose necessity the two Koreas, as well as concerned countries such as the United States and China, have long shared and discussed.
"Trump's decision has opened the possibility of change on a peninsula peace regime"
Fortunately, President Trump's recent decision has, with difficulty, created the possibility of change. Korea will lay the groundwork for the long-stalled U.S.-North Korea dialogue to resume swiftly and develop into dialogue among the parties to end the war on the peninsula and transition to a peace regime.
I am confident that dialogue to build a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula will be a highly useful framework that promotes not only the normalization of relations among the parties but also joint growth through multilateral cooperation and stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia.
Through this process, I believe we can first halt the advancement of the North's nuclear and missile capabilities, then reduce them in the medium term, and move toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in the long term. I hope the United Nations, which created a decisive moment for peaceful coexistence on the peninsula 35 years ago, and the Security Council, which has safeguarded international peace and stability, will once again play a responsible and constructive role.
Our government, as a party to peace on the Korean Peninsula and as a pacemaker, will do everything in its power to open and sustain the path of dialogue. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, and distinguished delegates, the true achievements of the United Nations are not proven by numbers and graphs in reports or by declarations in conference halls alone.
"As a party to peace and a pacemaker, we will do everything in our power"
Only when children's laughter returns to places where the gunfire has stopped, when young people enjoy opportunities to learn, work and take on challenges, and when anyone anywhere in the world can choose the life they want, will the reason for the United Nations' existence be firmly proven.
In 2015, the international community adopted the Sustainable Development Goals as a shared promise toward a bright future. Now, with 2030 approaching, we must prepare a new future for the next generation. In this process, young people — the future generation — must become co-architects who define problems, design solutions and lead implementation together with us.
We must widen the door to participation and communication so that young people's voices are better reflected in international decision-making, and we must invest boldly in the potential of the next generation. The Republic of Korea is a direct witness that can testify more vividly than anyone to the noble power of solidarity embodied in the name of the United Nations. What miraculous change can be achieved when the international community acts with one heart and one mind — the very existence of this Republic of Korea, which achieved industrialization and democratization out of the ruins of war, is the proof.
Now we will repay that solidarity with greater responsibility and contribution. Korea will lead the way in reconnecting a divided world, building a future in which no one is left behind, and enabling the next generation to dream of a better tomorrow.
Toward a Korean Peninsula of peaceful coexistence, and toward the future of "a United Nations that delivers for all," the Republic of Korea will boldly advance at the very front. Thank you sincerely for your kind attention.
