UK to Host G7 Summit in June as In-Person Meeting... South Korea Officially Invited

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The United Kingdom announced plans to hold the Group of Seven (G7) summit as an in-person meeting this June.

This will be the first official in-person G7 summit in two years, with South Korea officially invited as a guest.

Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister and chair of this year's G7, issued a statement on the 16th (local time), saying that the upcoming G7 summit will serve as a platform to build consensus on restoring the global economy from the shocks of COVID-19 through free trade and sustainable methods, according to major foreign media outlets.

Prime Minister Johnson said, "The coronavirus is clearly the most significant test of the modern international order we have experienced and the most destructive force seen in generations," adding, "We must unite in the spirit of openness to approach building a better future."

Foreign media reported that Johnson invited South Korea, Australia, and India to this summit. The G7 consists of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan.

The July G7 summit in the UK is scheduled to be held at Carbis Bay, a resort in Cornwall, southwestern England.

The G7 summit was originally planned to be held last summer in the United States, the chair country of last year, presided over by President Donald Trump, but was abruptly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, G7 leaders held a remote meeting in March last year to discuss the COVID-19 situation.