Korean finance minister departs for Bangkok to attend IMF, G20 ministerial meetings
Summary
Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il departed Incheon International Airport for Bangkok on Wednesday to attend the 2026 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings and a G20 finance ministerial gathering. He will discuss global economic issues in multilateral meetings and seek closer ties with financial authorities from major countries. Lee will also attend G7 and IMFC meetings, hold bilateral talks with international organizations and foreign counterparts, and brief major credit rating agencies on Korea’s economy.
Key Facts
- Lee is scheduled to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting on Thursday, ahead of the G20 summit planned for December.
- Lee will participate in an International Monetary and Financial Committee meeting on Saturday to discuss responses to key economic issues.
- His planned bilateral meetings include officials from the IMF, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Central American Bank for Economic Integration.
- Lee is expected to meet finance counterparts from Japan, Britain, Germany, Australia and Saudi Arabia, and brief Moody’s, Fitch and S&P Global Ratings.
- Lee held his first video conference with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who congratulated him and emphasized bilateral economic and financial cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Hyung-il, left, departs for Bangkok, Thailand, via Incheon International Airport, Wednesday, to attend the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings and meetings of G20 and G7 finance ministers. Yonhap
Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il departed for Bangkok on Wednesday to take part in the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, along with a G20 finance ministerial gathering, his office said.
Lee left Incheon International Airport and plans to participate in various multilateral meetings with major countries this week to discuss the latest global economic issues, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
The visit marks Lee's first participation in such gatherings as finance minister since taking office last month.
During the visit, Lee is set to participate in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting on Thursday, where participants will discuss key issues ahead of the G20 summit slated for December.
The policymaker will also attend a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers at their invitation and actively contribute to discussions on the global economy, reflecting Korea's growing international standing, the ministry said.
The Korean official will seek to bolster Seoul's ties with the financial authorities of the seven major nations, it added.
On Saturday, Lee will participate in an International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) meeting, where member countries are expected to discuss ways to address key economic issues.
On the sidelines of the events, Lee plans to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of various international organizations, including the IMF, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration.
The finance minister will also brief major credit rating agencies, including Moody's, Fitch and S&P Global Ratings, on Korea's economy, his office said.
The ministry added Lee is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Britain, Germany, Australia and Saudi Arabia.
Lee, meanwhile, held his first video conference overnight with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was set to skip the Bangkok event.
Bessent congratulated Lee on his appointment and stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation in economic and financial affairs, according to the finance ministry.
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