Lee returns home following 10-day trip to Europe
President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung move to board the presidential plane at Geneva Airport, Wednesday, to return home. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Seoul on Thursday after wrapping up his first trip to Europe aimed at expanding South Korea's diplomatic landscape beyond Asia toward Europe.
The presidential plane carrying Lee landed at Seoul Air Base, just south of Seoul, following his 10-day three-nation trip.
The trip, which began last week, first took the president to Belgium and then Italy, where he sought to enhance the country's relations with the European nations, as well as the European Union.
In Brussels, Lee held summit talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, followed by a summit with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, president of the European Council.
In Italy, Lee held summit talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, agreeing to elevate bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership, while also meeting with Pope Leo XIV, where he confirmed the Vatican's continued support for Seoul's efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to the presidential office.
Lee's European trip concluded in Evian-les-Bains, France, where he attended the G7 summit as the head of an invited country for the second consecutive year.
On Friday, the president is expected to preside over a meeting with his top aides at Cheong Wa Dae.