President Lee Jae Myung (right, front) shakes hands with Kang Kyung-wha (left, front), who is a nominee for the ambassador to the US, as Lee and his wife Kim Hea Kyung (right, back) disembark from Air Force One at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York Monday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung (right, front) shakes hands with Kang Kyung-wha (left, front), who is a nominee for the ambassador to the US, as Lee and his wife Kim Hea Kyung (right, back) disembark from Air Force One at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York Monday. (Yonhap)

NEW YORK -- President Lee Jae Myung and his wife Kim Hea Kyung arrived in New York on Monday as he kicked off his second US trip in his term.

At the John F. Kennedy International Airport, Lee and Kim were greeted by Cha Ji-hoon, South Korean ambassador to the United Nations and Lee Sang-ho, acting consul general of South Korea in New York. Kang Kyung-wha, former Foreign Minister who is a nominee for the ambassador to the US, was also present at the airport.

Later on Monday, Lee is expected to meet Larry Fink, chairman and chief executive officer of US investment firm BlackRock to discuss artificial intelligence and energy transition, and hold talks with representatives of US Senate and House of Representatives to ask for US lawmakers' support to advance the ties between the two countries, according to the presidential office.

Also, later on Monday, Lee will attend a meeting with overseas Koreans living in New York.

Lee was poised to deliver his speech at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday and to chair a UN Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence on Wednesday, becoming the first South Korean president to do so. In September, South Korea holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council.


consnow@heraldcorp.com