President Lee Heads to Canada for G7 Summit
President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a meeting with residents of areas near the border with North Korea at a community center in Paju, Gyeonggi, on June 13. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Lee Jae-myung is set to depart for Canada on Monday to attend the Group of 7 summit, marking his diplomatic debut on the global stage just less than two weeks into his term in office.
Lee will embark on a three-day trip to Alberta to attend an expanded Group of 7 summit session as a guest and hold meetings with leaders of major economies.
The high-profile gathering offers Lee a key opportunity to signal that South Korea's top-level diplomacy is back on track, following a six-month leadership vacuum caused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law attempt in December.
"The Group of 7 summit will be the first stage to send a message to the international community that democratic Korea is back," National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told a press briefing Sunday.
Lee's push for pragmatic diplomacy will be tested as he seeks to engage world leaders amid escalating global challenges, including a raft of U.S. tariffs, an intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry and growing military ties between Russia and North Korea.
"It will serve as a good opportunity for [the president] to take the first step toward pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests," Wi said. "It will be very timely for him to have a chance to build trust early on through face-to-face meetings with the leaders of major countries, just 10 days after taking office."
Eyes are on whether Lee will have his first in-person meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to address pressing issues, including trade negotiations, security burden sharing and coordination on North Korea and China.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on June 15. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
In their phone conversation three days after Lee's inauguration, the two leaders agreed to make efforts to reach a "mutually satisfactory" trade agreement and support working-level negotiations.
"President Lee's position is to address these challenges through close coordination with the United States. If the two leaders meet, it is expected to serve as momentum to drive those negotiations forward," a senior presidential official said, noting consultations are currently underway for their meeting.
The Group of 7 summit may also pave the way for Lee's first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the two nations mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization next week.
During a phone call earlier this month, Lee and Ishiba reaffirmed the importance of bilateral ties between the two neighbors and expressed hope to meet in person at an early date.
Lee is also seeking to hold a trilateral meeting with Trump and Ishiba on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit.
President Lee Jae-myung looks across the border at North Korea at an observation deck in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, on June 13. [YONHAP]
"President Lee has said that the foundation of South Korea's foreign and security policy lies in the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan," the official said. "From that perspective, we remain open to the possibility."
Lee's approach to China will be closely watched, particularly as previous Group of 7 summits have adopted increasingly firm stances on Beijing's assertive behavior in the South China Sea and its controversial trade practices.
Navigating the geopolitical complexities of the region, Lee's pragmatic diplomacy will demand a careful balancing act between the United States — South Korea's longstanding security ally — and China, its largest economic partner.
Relations between Seoul and Beijing were strained under the Yoon administration, which pursued closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo on key strategic issues, including defense and regional security.
"We will coordinate and cooperate with Group of 7 nations, but we also intend not to worsen relations with China and Russia," the official said.
Yonhap
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