Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Korean president to make diplomatic debut at G7 Summit in Canada
President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a meeting with business leaders at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of presidential office
By Anna J. Park
Lee Jae-myung's G7 participation to signal restoration of Korea's summit diplomacy: presidential office
President Lee Jae-myung is set to step onto the global diplomatic stage for the first time as he travels to Canada to attend the G7 Summit, according to the presidential office Sunday.
It will be the starting point to restore Korea's summit diplomacy, which was halted for six months following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law fiasco and subsequent impeachment, it said.
According to the presidential office, Lee will depart Seoul early Monday for Alberta for the summit, which runs through Tuesday (local time). It will be his first overseas visit as president since his June 4 inauguration.
Korea is not a G7 member but was invited as a guest by the host country Canada. At this year's summit, major themes will include global challenges in energy security, digital transformations and fostering global partnerships.
In Tuesday's expanded session on energy security, which guest countries will participate in, Lee will deliver speeches on diversification of energy supply chains and the integration of artificial intelligence and energy.
Wi Sung-lac, national security adviser, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
Wi Sung-lac, Lee's national security adviser, explained that the upcoming G7 Summit marks a significant milestone for both the administration and Korea in multiple ways.
"First and foremost, it will be the first major international event to declare that Korea has recovered from the risk to its democracy. [Lee's attendance] will deliver the message, 'Democratic Korea is back,'" Wi said during a press briefing at the presidential office.
The summit will also end the monthslong pause in summit-level diplomacy and marks the formal resumption of Korea’s high-level international engagement.
Wi emphasized that the country can now actively pursue "pragmatic diplomacy aimed at national interests" amid major shifts in the global economic and security landscape by reconnecting with major global powers.
During his visit, Lee is expected to hold multiple bilateral meetings with key counterparts, although specific details of these engagements have yet to be confirmed.
"We are currently coordinating meeting schedules with several countries, and we will share the specific details as soon as they are finalized," Wi said.
An official said they are coordinating a potential meeting between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump and another between Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, or a trilateral one involving the three leaders.
"If Korea-U.S. summit talk is held, it will provide momentum for working-level negotiations on tariffs," the official said on condition of anonymity.
As to a possible talk with Ishiba, the official said the two leaders would discuss ways to develop bilateral ties as agreed in their previous phone call, especially as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties.
The official added, "We are open to the trilateral meeting. Lee has repeatedly said the basis of Korea's diplomacy and security is a strong Korea-U.S. alliance and trilateral cooperation."
The official referenced Lee's presidential campaign pledge to become a "G7 Plus" nation. "We have very little preparation time [as the president took office less than two weeks ago], but decided to attend the G7 Summit to show our commitment to contributing to G7."