President Lee Jaemyung will depart on June 16 to attend the G7 Summit in Canada. This marks President Lee's first overseas trip.
On June 15, National Security Advisor Wi Sunglak held a briefing at the presidential office and announced that President Lee Jaemyung and First Lady Kim Hyekyung will depart for Canada on June 16 to attend the G7 Summit. This G7 Summit is the first international event President Lee will participate in. He was invited by Canada, the host country, following his election. The summit will take place over three days, starting from June 16, when President Lee and the First Lady arrive in Canada.
President Lee intends to use this summit as an opportunity to address the issues of tariffs and defense cost-sharing with the United States. An official from the presidential office explained, "Currently, there are pending issues between South Korea and the United States, including tariffs and security-related matters. President Lee's position is to resolve these issues through close consultations with the United States." The official added, "Negotiation teams are currently holding working-level talks, and if a summit meeting between the two leaders takes place, it is expected to provide momentum to advance these negotiations."
Regarding the possibility of a meeting among the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan, the official stated, "We are open to the idea." The official continued, "President Lee has repeatedly emphasized that the foundation of our diplomacy and security lies in the solid South Korea-U.S. alliance and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Since various multilateral schedules are still being coordinated, it remains uncertain how the meetings will proceed."
President Lee is scheduled to arrive in Calgary, Canada, on the afternoon of June 16 local time. His first agenda item will be bilateral meetings with other major world leaders who have been invited to the summit. Afterwards, President Lee and First Lady Kim Hyekyung will attend official events hosted by Canada. The following day, President Lee will travel to Kananaskis, approximately 100 kilometers from Calgary. There, he will begin the official G7 Summit schedule, starting with the official welcoming ceremony for invited countries.
Additionally, during the expanded session of the summit, President Lee will host a working luncheon on the theme of energy security. In this session, President Lee is scheduled to speak twice, focusing on the diversification of energy supply chains and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with energy. He will present the Korean government's efforts and vision for establishing a stable energy system and stabilizing supply chains. President Lee also plans to outline South Korea's role in building a stable global AI ecosystem and promoting the spread of AI-driven innovation in the era of AI.
Advisor Wi stated that President Lee's participation in the G7 Summit "will serve as the first international stage to send a message to the global community that Korea has overcome its crisis and that democratic Korea has returned." Advisor Wi further explained, "Attending this summit marks the starting point for restoring summit diplomacy, which has been at a standstill for the past six months." He also assessed that this signifies the full-scale pursuit of pragmatic, national interest-centered diplomacy and the search for solutions to pressing issues.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
