Presidential Office: "G7 Invitation Selected Based on Chair Country's Priority Agenda... Not a Variable for Cooperation" (Comprehensive)

President Yoon Not Invited to June G7 Summit
Presidential Office: "Europe Invited Countries Related to Current Situation"
Cooperation with G7, Ongoing Coordination on Key Issues
Refutes Opposition's Criticism on Global Hub Nation Vision
"Korea is a UN Security Council Non-Permanent Member and Hosts International Conferences"

On the 20th, the Presidential Office stated, "The invited countries to the Group of Seven (G7) summits have been selected each year based on the agenda interests of the chair country, and this year, Italy as the chair country focused on African and Mediterranean issues related to immigration within its own borders when selecting the invitees, and we respect this." This explanation came in response to criticism that President Yoon Suk-yeol's diplomatic efforts, which advocate for "global pivotal diplomacy," were rendered meaningless as he was not invited to this year's G7 summit.

In reference materials distributed to the media that afternoon, the Presidential Office explained, "When a European country chairs, there is a tendency to focus invitations on countries closely related to European affairs (mainly African countries)." In 2011 (France), 2015 (Germany), and 2017 (Italy), all invitees were African countries. A senior official from the Presidential Office also told Asia Economy, "Since Korea is not a G7 country, it is impossible to attend every time, and especially this time, there are no invitees from the Asia-Pacific region except for India, which is a troika country."

According to major foreign media, this summit invited the Group of Twenty (G20) "troika" countries (the host countries of last year’s, this year’s, and next year’s G20 meetings) India, Brazil, and South Africa, as well as Argentina, Egypt, Tunisia, Kenya, and Algeria. Korea was invited to the G7 summits three times since 2020 (in 2020, 2021, and 2023), but was not invited this time.

On the 16th, one day before President Yoon Suk-yeol's 100th day in office, the Presidential Office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is shown. President Yoon, emphasizing the elimination of authoritarianism, moved the stage of state affairs from the former Blue House to Yongsan. With the president's office relocated to Yongsan, the Blue House has been fully opened to the public. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Presidential Office explained that cooperation with the G7 is not a one-time event limited to summit participation but a form of year-round, continuous collaboration on major international issues. This year, Korea has been closely involved in discussions across various fields by being invited to several G7 ministerial meetings beyond the summit. The Presidential Office stated that Korea participated in the Digital Ministers’ Meeting last month, plans to participate in the Finance Ministers’ Meeting next month, and is likely to attend the Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting and Trade Ministers’ Meeting in July, as well as the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in November.

Regarding criticism from opposition parties that the vision of a global pivotal state is hollow, the Presidential Office responded, "The vision of a global pivotal state centers on joining the international community’s efforts to uphold a rules-based international order founded on core values such as freedom and peace." It added, "Through Korea’s current non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council, it is actively participating in leading discussions on major international issues such as Ukraine, the Middle East, and North Korea. Korea was also invited to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summits in 2022 and 2023, participating in international security discussions, and has been invited again this year for the third consecutive time."

Another senior official from the Presidential Office said in a phone interview, "Last month, Korea hosted the Democracy Summit for the first time outside the United States, leading international efforts to promote democracy, and with Korea scheduled to host an international conference next month, claims that the vision is hollow are unreasonable." The government plans to host the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Seoul Summit next month and lead discussions on international norms.

Furthermore, the Presidential Office explained that on international stages such as the Group of Twenty (G20), Korea is closely coordinating with the G7 and like-minded countries to present unified positions on major issues related to the global economy, climate, and development that concern Korea. In particular, the Presidential Office emphasized that "reports from major U.S. think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Carnegie Endowment highlight the need to expand the G7 through Korea’s participation, indicating an international consensus on Korea’s involvement in the G7," underscoring that Korea’s diplomatic influence is not diminishing.