PM meets Korean leaders, residents in New York

▲ Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (standing) makes remarks during a meeting with Korean residents in the New York area at a hotel in the city on Jan. 24, 2026, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

PM-US visit

PM meets Korean leaders, residents in New York

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has met with Korean leaders and residents in New York to thank them for their contributions to developing South Korea-U.S. relations, his office said Sunday.

Kim has been on a five-day trip to Washington and New York, marking his first U.S. trip since taking office in July 2025.

On Friday (local time), Kim met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and proposed the idea of the U.S. sending a special envoy to North Korea to mend ties between Washington and Pyongyang.

On Saturday, he held a luncheon meeting with five Korean representatives and local community leaders in New York to share the details of his trip and thank them for serving as a "connecting link" in the development of bilateral relations, his office said in a press release.

The five were New York State representatives Ron Kim and Grace Lee, Mayor of Palisades Park Chong Paul Kim, Mayor of Englewood Cliffs Mark Park and Council of Korean Americans President Abraham Kim.

The prime minister later held a separate meeting with Korean residents in the New York area and praised their efforts in contributing to the growth of their motherland, while requesting them to play a role for the development of bilateral ties, Kim's office said.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved