President Lee Jae-myung on the 22nd proposed a “Coalition of Constructive Contributors” as a way to address the global supply-chain crisis triggered by the U.S.-Iran conflict surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

In his keynote speech at the 81st UN General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, Lee listed “solidarity for the global energy supply chain” as one of the three pillars of the “K Initiative,” unveiling a new international partnership centered on supply-chain cooperation.

The remarks underscored the restoration of multilateralism in the face of a new global security and economic crisis stemming from the Iran war, and were interpreted as an extension of Lee’s pragmatic diplomatic approach.

They drew particular attention because, even as Washington has intensified pressure on Seoul to dispatch troops to the Strait of Hormuz, Lee again told the international community that responses to supply-chain shocks and other problems linked to the Iran conflict must be pursued through a multilateral approach.

Lee has previously argued that normalizing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and guaranteeing freedom of navigation require problem-solving through multilateral solidarity involving the international community.

On this day he stressed, “We cannot simply sit and wait until every country agrees on a single solution,” highlighting the urgency and necessity of new multilateral consultations to resolve the Iran conflict. The Coalition of Constructive Contributors outlined Tuesday also fleshes out the pledge of practical contributions toward eventual normalization of the strait that Lee made at an international summit on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in April.

France and Britain have, from the early stages of the Iran war, led discussions on a “multinational task force” involving the international community; South Korea has taken part and joined calls for multilateral cooperation. Analysts say the coalition Lee proposed goes a step further: rather than being limited to the military and security sphere, it more closely resembles a broader multilateral security-and-economic consultative model that can attract wider participation by using global supply chains as the connecting thread.

Lee explained, “This is not about creating a new exclusive institution or exclusive grouping. It is about respecting the existing international order and the functions of the United Nations while cooperating in an open manner in the areas where each country has strengths, and gradually expanding the scope.”The concept is understood as one that would operate a flexible coalition around the shared economic interest of supply-chain stability—rather than a confrontational model that forms closed political, military, or geopolitical “blocs”—and produce tangible results.

It is also seen as reflecting Lee’s will to raise the profile of middle-power diplomacy as a supplier of “global public goods” and to position South Korea as a responsible global power. In the speech Lee pledged, “We will further tighten energy supply-chain cooperation so that the supply-chain crisis does not spread into a worldwide economic and livelihood crisis.

”A remaining task, however, is to follow up with a concrete strategy that can differentiate the initiative from existing multilateral bodies such as the United Nations, the multinational task force on the Hormuz situation led by France and Britain, and various economic-cooperation groupings.

Meanwhile, delivering his second consecutive UN General Assembly speech, Lee took the podium at about 3:43 p.m. wearing a dark navy suit and a Taegeukgi pin on his lapel. He wore a dark-green tie with a white diagonal pattern. The presidential office said the green color—symbolizing balance, harmony, and peace among nations—was chosen to convey a message of hope and positivity.

In the address Lee mentioned “the Republic of Korea” about 20 times, “peace” 17 times, “the Korean Peninsula” 14 times, “the international community” 12 times, “cooperation” 11 times, “solidarity” 10 times, “the future” 10 times, and “artificial intelligence (AI)” about 9 times. When the roughly 17-minute speech ended, applause broke out in the hall.
First Lady Kim Hye-kyung also watched the address from the venue.