President Lee Proposes 'Alliance of Constructive Contributor States' Amid "Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea Supply Chain Crisis"

Proposes Three Pillars of the "K-Initiative" at the UN
AI, Green Transition, and Energy Supply Chain as Key Focus
"No Country or Person Should Be Excluded from the Benefits of AI"
Plans for a "Global AI Hub"
Unveils Vision for the "Gre

President Lee Jaemyung unveiled the "K-Initiative," which centers on three key pillars: artificial intelligence (AI), green transition, and global energy supply chain solidarity, during the United Nations General Assembly on the 22nd (local time). Notably, he addressed the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, proposing a "constructive contributor coalition" composed of nations with the capability and commitment to provide global public goods.

Yonhap News Agency

In his keynote speech at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York on this day, President Lee cited the repeated maritime blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, remarking that "the weaponization of essential routes for energy and logistics has demonstrated how deeply such shocks can impact daily life around the world."

President Lee emphasized, "What we need now—and what is the most pragmatic approach—is for the countries with the capacity and will to supply global public goods to join hands first, expanding the scope of cooperation." He added, "I would like to call this a 'constructive contributor coalition'." He proposed making active use of existing cooperative frameworks, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), and strengthening international responses so that disruptions to energy supply chains do not escalate into global economic and livelihood crises.

President Lee clarified, "This is not a call to create new organizations or exclusive groups," adding, "Each country should cooperate flexibly and openly in areas where it has strengths, gradually expanding the scope of collaboration." He continued, "As the results of such cooperative efforts 'individually and collectively' accumulate, we will be able to restore trust in multilateralism, overcoming geopolitical competition, deadlock, and fragmentation."

Through the K-Initiative, he also proposed the creation of a "global AI basic society." This proposal is rooted in the belief that AI is a driving force for new prosperity and sustainable development, but that without proper countermeasures, it can exacerbate inequality between nations and social classes.

President Lee stated, "We envision a 'global AI basic society' that excludes no country or individual," declaring his intent to utilize AI as a tool to address shared human challenges such as the climate crisis, healthcare, food security, and refugee issues. He also outlined plans to establish a "Global AI Hub," a collaborative platform that will bring together international organizations, multilateral development banks, industry, and academia.

He went on to introduce a plan to begin by implementing "AI-based basic healthcare" domestically, and over time to expand the use of AI to reinforce basic rights in other areas of life such as social security, labor, housing, and culture. The intent is to ensure that the benefits of the AI revolution go beyond economic growth and are used to extend economic, social, and cultural rights.

Additionally, presenting the "green transition" as a vision, President Lee stated that responding to the climate crisis should be seen not as a constraint on growth but as an opportunity to transform industrial structures and create new jobs. Citing the "2035 National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target" and the "Korean-style Green Transformation (K-GX) Strategy," he said, "We will reshape our industrial foundations and create a virtuous cycle, connecting carbon neutrality to a new growth engine and high-quality jobs."

President Lee further added, "Korea will share its accumulated experience and achievements from the green transition with the international community, and will also lead discussions on sustainable ocean development through the 4th United Nations Ocean Conference, which Korea will co-host with Chile in 2028."

President Lee also addressed the need for UN reform: "The UN must evolve in step with changing times—reducing overlaps in organization and programs, expediting decision-making, and focusing limited resources on the most urgent needs."

He voiced his support for the "UN 80 Initiative." Launched to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, this initiative aims for comprehensive reforms to make the UN a simpler, more efficient, and results-oriented organization through streamlining, mission system enhancement, and structural and programmatic reorganization.

President Lee also stated, "We support reforming the Security Council to function more effectively, democratically, and responsibly," emphasizing, "The Republic of Korea will fulfill its responsibilities and roles to achieve tangible outcomes for global citizens across the UN's three pillars: peace, development, and human rights."

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