South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, agreeing to strengthen cooperation on energy security, critical minerals, and defence industry ties. The talks highlighted the two nations' mutual dependence on liquefied natural gas and petroleum, with Lee crediting Australian assistance for helping stabilise South Korea's energy supply amid disruptions caused by conflict around the Strait of Hormuz (a vital Persian Gulf chokepoint through which a large share of global oil and gas shipments pass). The leaders also discussed plans for Lee to visit Australia in the first half of next year, with Albanese noting the two countries' complementary strengths — South Korea's manufacturing capacity and Australia's resource wealth — as a basis for deepening ties.