Seeking Investment

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President Moon Jae-in has met with high-profile Wall Street figures in New York and said that now is the right time to invest in Korea. Moon will deliver a keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday morning local time.

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In his meeting with overseas investors including influential American business figures, President Moon Jae-in focused on eliminating investor anxiety over the so-called "North Korea risk" in terms of the South Korean economy. The president urged the entrepreneurs to proactively invest in Korea, because its economy has been growing steadily despite Pyongyang's continuous provocations.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "I can say confidently that it's the best time to invest in the South Korean economy."

President Moon stressed that South Korea and the U.S. are cooperating closely to respond to North Korea's missile and nuclear provocations based on the strong bilateral alliance. Regarding the negotiations on the rectification of the bilateral free trade agreement, President Moon said that both countries have benefited from the deal so far and that the negotiations must be held in a cool-headed way based on the results of objective evaluations of its outcome and impact.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "Korea will faithfully participate in the talks. However, I hope that the mutual benefits of the FTA will be evaluated properly."

President Moon also met with the leaders of U.S. think tanks, such as the Council on Foreign Relations and Korea Society, to brief them on Seoul's stance on the North Korea issue and urge their cooperation in further promoting the relations between Korea and the United States. In a summit meeting with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, President Moon also discussed cooperation on solving the North Korea nuclear crisis. The president also attended an event that was organized to promote the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. President Moon will deliver a keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday morning local time, and will hold bilateral and trilateral summit talks with the leaders of the U.S. and Japan.