Alberta: President Lee Jae-myung departed for Canada on Monday to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, marking his diplomatic debut on the global stage just less than two weeks into his term in office. Lee embarked on a three-day trip to Alberta to attend an expanded G7 summit session as a guest and hold meetings with leaders of major economies.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the high-profile gathering offers Lee a key opportunity to signal that South Korea's top-level diplomacy is back on track, following a six-month leadership vacuum caused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law attempt in December. "Through the occasion, President Lee aims to build rapport with global leaders and lay the groundwork for achieving tangible results on key issues, including trade," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters.
Lee's diplomatic efforts will be tested as he seeks to engage world leaders amid escalating global challenges, including a raft of U.S. tariffs, an intensifying U.S.-China strategic rivalry, and growing military ties between Russia and North Korea. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac noted that it would be timely for Lee to build trust early on through face-to-face meetings with leaders of major countries, just ten days after taking office.
Eyes are on whether Lee will have his first in-person meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to address pressing issues, including trade negotiations, security burden sharing, and coordination on North Korea and China. In their phone conversation three days after Lee's inauguration, the two leaders agreed to make efforts to reach a "mutually satisfactory" trade agreement and support working-level negotiations.
The G7 summit may also pave the way for Lee's first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the two nations mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization next week. During a phone call earlier this month, Lee and Ishiba reaffirmed the importance of bilateral ties between the two neighbors and expressed hope to meet in person at an early date.
Lee is also seeking to hold a trilateral meeting with Trump and Ishiba on the sidelines of the G7 summit. "President Lee has said that the foundation of South Korea's foreign and security policy lies in the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan," an official stated. "From that perspective, we remain open to the possibility."
Lee's approach to China will be closely watched, particularly as previous G7 summits have adopted increasingly firm stances on Beijing's assertive behavior in the South China Sea and its trade practices. Navigating the geopolitical complexities of the region, Lee's pragmatic diplomacy will demand a careful balancing act between the United States, South Korea's longstanding security ally, and China, its largest economic partner.
Relations between Seoul and Beijing were strained under the Yoon administration, which pursued closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo on key strategic issues, including defense and regional security. An official indicated that while South Korea intends to coordinate and cooperate with G7 nations, it also aims not to worsen relations with China and Russia.