President Lee Jae-myung returned to Korea through Seoul Air Base on the evening of the 26th after visiting New York, the United States, for five days and three nights to attend the U.N. General Assembly.
That day, Democratic Party of Korea leader Jeong Cheong-rae, floor leader Kim Byung-ki, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, senior presidential secretary for political affairs Woo Sang-ho, and political secretary Kim Byung-wook, among others, came to the airport to welcome the president and first lady.
During this trip to the United States, the president unveiled the "E (Exchange)·N (Normalization)·D (Denuclearization) initiative," a comprehensive solution to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in his first keynote address to the U.N. General Assembly.
The president said, "The Republic of Korea will fulfill its responsibility and role to end the Cold War on the Korean Peninsula and contribute to world peace and prosperity," adding, "Through comprehensive dialogue centered on 'END,' we must end the era of hostility and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and open a new era of 'peaceful coexistence and shared growth.'"
On the most pressing issue of the tariff negotiations during this visit, the president met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and directly conveyed the position that negotiation terms are needed that do not harm the national interest. A meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump did not materialize. There is a possibility of a South Korea–U.S. summit at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju at the end of October, one month from now.
After returning home, the president is expected to focus all efforts on preparing for the APEC summit to make progress in the tariff negotiations. In addition, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the president is expected to review people's livelihoods and seek solutions for cooperation as the ruling and opposition parties face off over revisions to the Government Organization Act and the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Cho Hui-dae.