The Easy Knowledge Blog

From the keynote address to a possible ‘surprise meeting’ with Trump — what to watch during the New York trip

🎧 Post Summary

President Lee Jae-myung landed at JFK International Airport in New York on the afternoon of September 21 (local time), kicking off a seven-day trip to the United States and Mexico. On September 22, he takes the UN General Assembly stage for his second keynote address since taking office. But what’s drawing attention this time isn’t just the content of the speech — it’s the question of whether he will actually cross paths with U.S. President Donald Trump. No formal bilateral summit has been confirmed, but the possibility of contact on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly is being widely discussed. Here’s a look at what to watch during this New York visit.

① A Second UN Stage — Does the ‘END Initiative’ Continue?

In his first UN keynote address last year, President Lee proposed the ‘END Initiative’ — built around Exchange, Normalization, and Denuclearization — pledging to end the Cold War on the Korean Peninsula through means other than absorption unification. In this second appearance, he is expected to lay out a vision for UN reform and Korea’s contribution while once again explaining his peaceful coexistence framework for the peninsula to the international community. A separate meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also scheduled, where he is expected to request continued UN-level attention and cooperation on Korean Peninsula issues.

② The Biggest Question: Will a ‘Surprise Meeting’ with Trump Happen?

No formal bilateral summit between the two leaders has been announced so far. However, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac left the door open in a pre-departure briefing, saying “there will be various forms of separate contact with leaders of major countries including the U.S. and Australia.” Trump’s schedule is tightly packed as well — he meets Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in New York on the 22nd before heading to Washington, where a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping is set for the 24th. Whether the two leaders manage even a brief encounter amid this packed calendar — or whether this trip passes without contact — is the biggest point of interest.

③ A Hot Potato on the Table — Hormuz Strait Deployment

Since March, President Trump has pressed South Korea, China, Japan, France, and the U.K. to send naval vessels to the Hormuz Strait. His argument rests on Korea’s roughly 62% dependence on Middle Eastern oil imports (per the Korea Energy Economics Institute) and the U.S. troop presence in Korea. After Trump claimed Korea responded to the request with a “no, thank you,” the Korean government pushed back, saying “the idea that we offered no help at all isn’t quite accurate.” Still, an actual deployment could require National Assembly approval depending on the nature of the mission, and the government is weighing the U.S. alliance alongside its relationship with Iran as it proceeds cautiously. If contact between the two leaders in New York does happen, this issue is likely to be a central topic.

④ The $350 Billion U.S. Investment — Follow-Up Talks Gain Momentum

The National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee and Trade, Industry and Energy Committee are being briefed on September 22 on the progress of the first project under the $350 billion investment in the U.S. On the 23rd, President Lee will attend the ‘Korea Investment Summit 2026,’ where U.S. and Korean financial and business figures gather, to personally pitch Korea’s AI policy and capital-market reform plans to global investors. The investment is framed as leverage for future-industry cooperation in energy and semiconductors, but domestically, views remain split between concern over taxpayer money flowing overseas and the view that it’s an unavoidable choice to strengthen the alliance.

⑤ Takaichi–Trump, Trump–Xi… A Packed Calendar of Northeast Asian Summit Diplomacy

The same week, New York and Washington will see a chain of U.S.-centered Northeast Asian summit diplomacy unfold. Trump meets Prime Minister Takaichi on the 22nd and President Xi on the 24th, back to back. For Korea, the challenge is standing out amid this crowded diplomatic schedule — and whether this trip can ease long-standing concerns about being sidelined, sometimes described as “Korea passing,” is also something to watch.

⑥ After the UN: A Trip That Continues to a State Visit to Mexico

After wrapping up his New York schedule on the evening of the 23rd, President Lee travels to Mexico City for a three-day state visit at the invitation of President Claudia Sheinbaum — the first Korean presidential state visit to Mexico in 16 years. The two leaders are expected to discuss cooperation on energy and mineral supply chains as well as AI and digital transformation. President Lee returns home on the 26th.

📌 Things to Keep in Mind

• No formal Korea-U.S. summit has been officially confirmed as of this writing — only the possibility of contact on the sidelines of multilateral diplomacy has been raised, so whether it actually happens remains to be seen.
• A Hormuz deployment could require National Assembly approval depending on the operation’s nature, and there is a cautious view within the government that both national interest and Korea-Iran relations need to be weighed.
• On the $350 billion U.S. investment, concerns about taxpayer money flowing overseas coexist with the view that it’s an unavoidable choice for strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance.
• Neither North Korea nor the international community has yet issued an official response to President Lee’s ‘peaceful coexistence’ vision for the Korean Peninsula.

This New York trip combines the symbolic stage of a keynote address with substantive issues — Hormuz deployment and follow-up on the U.S. investment — riding on it at the same time. If contact with President Trump does happen, it could signal the next stage of the Korea-U.S. relationship; even if it doesn’t, the message delivered from the UN stage itself could still be counted as a diplomatic achievement. President Lee will move directly from the UN schedule into a state visit to Mexico before returning home on the 26th.

Sources

• Money Today — “President Lee arrives in New York for UN General Assembly, attention on possible Trump meeting” (mt.co.kr)
• Edaily — “President Lee arrives in New York, attention on Trump meeting” (edaily.co.kr)
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun — “President Lee visits U.S. for UN General Assembly — will a meeting with Trump happen?” (khan.co.kr)
• Financial News — “President Lee to meet Trump in New York — will they find a breakthrough on investment and deployment?” (fnnews.com)
• The Korea Times/Hankook Ilbo — “President Lee departs for UN General Assembly today, to meet Trump” (hankookilbo.com)
• Money Today — “‘Asked Korea to join, got a no thank you’… Trump’s deployment pressure keeps intensifying” (mt.co.kr)
• Herald Economy — “Trump escalates demand for Korea’s Hormuz deployment, deepening government’s dilemma” (heraldk.com)