President Lee Myung-bak cochaired Wednesday a U.N. roundtable session on climate change in the U.S. in which he outlined South Korea’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

During the meeting he cochaired with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Lee reaffirmed that South Korea will voluntarily announce greenhouse gas emissions targets, thereby becoming the first developing country to do so.

He then suggested that actions by developing nations to voluntarily cut greenhouse gas emissions be registered with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat.

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said Lee’s proposal is being regarded as a way to prompt both advanced and developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Advanced countries have been seeking to introduce a legally binding framework to cut greenhouse gases, while most developing countries have been opposed to the idea.

Lee made similar statements in a speech he recorded prior to the roundtable session that was posted on the U.N. Web site. In the speech, he stressed the need for all countries to join global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.