Yoon's 11-Minute Speech on 'Freedom and Solidarity' Marks UN Stage Debut... Kim Geon-hee Sits in Special Seat

President Yoon's Speech Received 7 Applause Claps
North Korean Delegation Seat Remains Empty
President Yoon Meets with Secretary-General Guterres and UK Prime Minister Before Speech

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol made his debut on the UN stage by delivering his first speech at the 77th United Nations General Assembly held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, on the 20th (local time).

Wearing a dark navy tie and a Taegeukgi badge, President Yoon took the podium as the 10th keynote speaker at 1:51 a.m. Korean time on the 21st, following the leaders of Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Qatar.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon delivered an 11-minute speech titled "Freedom and Solidarity: Seeking Solutions in a Time of Transition," which was 4 minutes shorter than the usual 15 minutes allocated to each country's leader. After the speech of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, President Yoon took the podium and nodded respectfully toward Csaba K?r?si, President of the UN General Assembly.

Unlike other leaders, he did not make large gestures but alternately looked to both sides, calling for agreement by repeating the words "freedom" 21 times, "international community" 13 times, and "solidarity" 8 times to overcome the complex crises facing the world. When President Yoon concluded his speech by saying, "We will fulfill our responsibilities with the UN for peace and prosperity," the leaders of various countries applauded for about 10 seconds. Including this, there were seven instances of applause during President Yoon's speech.

On the 20th (local time), First Lady Kim Keon-hee (second from the left) watched her husband, President Yoon Suk-yeol, deliver a speech at the 77th UN General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Senior Secretary for Civil Society Kang Seung-gyu and Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok sat in the special seats along with First Lady Kim. Foreign Minister Park Jin, National Security Office Director Kim Sung-han, First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo, and Ambassador to the UN Hwang Jun-guk, who were seated in the 11th row of the Korean delegation at the UN General Assembly hall, applauded intermittently during the speech. On the 4th-floor balcony seats, Korean officials including Overseas Public Relations Secretary Kang In-seon watched the speech.

However, the seat of the North Korean delegation, located in the second row near President Yoon's podium, was vacant. North Korea's turn is on the last day of the general debate, the 26th. It is expected that Ambassador Kim Song will deliver the speech as last year.

On the 20th (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol met consecutively with UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres and UK Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Before his keynote speech, President Yoon shook hands with Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres. Lee Jae-myung, Deputy Spokesperson of the Presidential Office, conveyed that President Yoon told Secretary-General Guterres, "Thank you once again for the warm welcome in Seoul on August 12," and said, "I will see you this afternoon."

He also exchanged greetings with UK Prime Minister Liz Truss. Prime Minister Truss said to President Yoon, "It is a pleasure to see you again following the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II," and added, "Let's meet again at tomorrow's reception hosted by US President Joe Biden."

After the UN General Assembly speech, President Yoon had lunch with former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. He also plans to hold a meeting with UN Secretary-General Guterres. In the evening, he will attend a dinner meeting with Korean residents living in New York.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.