President Lee Holds Consecutive Meetings with G7 Guest Nations
Trump Returns Early Due to Middle East Crisis
On the afternoon of the 16th (local time), President Lee Jaemyung arrived at Calgary Airport in Canada at around 12:30 p.m. and held bilateral meetings with leaders such as the President of South Africa and the Prime Minister of Australia, both of whom were invited to the G7 Summit.
On the 17th, President Lee plans to continue holding bilateral meetings. However, the much-anticipated Korea-U.S. summit appears to have effectively fallen through, as President Donald Trump decided to cancel his scheduled G7 commitments and return to the United States early due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Nevertheless, the possibility of a Korea-Japan summit remains. An official from the presidential office stated, "A summit with the United States was scheduled, but we are currently confirming the situation after receiving breaking news about President Trump's early return," adding, "There has been considerable progress regarding the Korea-Japan summit."
Immediately after arriving in Canada, at 2:45 p.m., President Lee began his series of leader-to-leader talks with a bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. At 3:30 p.m., he also met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for talks. The summit with President Ramaphosa marked President Lee's first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader since taking office. During the meeting, President Lee noted that since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, South Africa?a participant in the Korean War?and Korea have strengthened cooperation in various fields. He proposed that both countries continue to work closely together to further enhance practical cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, and energy.
President Lee particularly emphasized that "South Africa is the largest economy in Africa and serves as Korea's gateway to the continent," and requested the South African government's interest and support for Korean companies operating in diverse sectors such as energy and manufacturing within South Africa.
Korea-Australia Summit... President Lee: "Many Areas for Cooperation Including Defense Industry"
President Lee greeted Prime Minister Albanese with "Nice to meet you" and discussed current issues following a commemorative photo session. The two leaders began their conversation by referencing the 75th anniversary of the Korean War. Prime Minister Albanese remarked, "Australian troops fought alongside the Republic of Korea during the Korean War," adding, "Our economic partnership remains strong. We are cooperating in the defense industry and in areas that benefit our peoples." In response, President Lee said, "Australia is an extremely close economic partner, and I believe there are many areas where we can continue to cooperate in the future."
The two leaders also discussed shared interests in resources and energy. Prime Minister Albanese stated, "I would like to visit Korea for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, and I hope to welcome President Lee to Australia as well." President Lee replied, "We rely heavily on Australia when it comes to resources and energy issues. Australia and Korea have an exceptionally close and special relationship." He added that he would make a visit to Australia as soon as possible.
The two leaders also agreed to continue strengthening communication and cooperation to make tangible progress on peace on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korean nuclear issue. They also pledged to actively cooperate to ensure the successful hosting of the APEC summit in October.
Bilateral Meeting with U.S. President Postponed
The biggest focus regarding President Lee's participation in the G7 was whether a Korea-U.S. summit with President Trump would take place. While there was speculation that a summit would be held on the 17th, an unexpected development occurred. The White House announced that President Trump decided to return to the United States early from Canada, where the G7 summit is being held, citing the armed conflict between Israel and Iran as the reason.
Previously, on the 6th, President Lee had his first phone call with President Trump since taking office. There was speculation that this time, the two leaders might hold a brief "pull-aside" meeting lasting around 10 minutes.
However, due to President Trump's early return, the Korea-U.S. summit will effectively be postponed to a later date. Discussions on pending issues such as tariff negotiations and the increase in defense cost-sharing for U.S. troops stationed in Korea are also expected to be delayed. Regarding this, President Lee held an impromptu press briefing aboard his flight to Canada and emphasized, "It is important to ensure that we are not placed in a more disadvantageous situation compared to other countries." He made this comment in response to a question about his key principles for tariff negotiations with President Trump.
President Lee added, "Our business leaders have said, 'If we are competing under the same conditions as other countries, it's a fair competition and worth trying.' Hearing that put my mind at ease." He continued, "Diplomacy should not benefit only one side while harming the other. We must strive to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes that help everyone." Meanwhile, President Lee attended a welcome reception hosted by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and a state dinner hosted by Canadian Governor General Mary Simon as part of his evening schedule.
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