President Lee Jae-myung returned home on July 17 from his nine-night, 10-day visit to Europe, including his participation in the G7 Summit the last leg of the trip.
President Lee’s first trip to Europe since his inauguration prioritized expanding Korea’s diplomatic standing amid the spread of ethnocentrism, restructuring of global supply chains and skyrocketing geopolitical tensions.
The president held summit talks with EU and Belgium, in which strengthening cooperation in energy and advanced technology was discussed intensively, as were pending trade issues involving steel and carbon restriction.
Korea was evaluated to have achieved outcomes to some extent by asking for reducing Korean companies’ burden regarding the issue of securing non-tariff quotas ahead of the EU’s strengthening of controls on steel imports.
Following his state visit to Italy, he held a succession of talks with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and both countries agreed to raise their bilateral relations to a “special strategic partnership.”
Both sides adopted mid- and long-term action plans to expand omni-directional cooperation, encompassing the defense industry, advanced industries, SMEs and cultural cooperation.
President Lee paid a courtesy call to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in which he stressed peace on the Korean Peninsula and called for the Pope’s visit to Korea.
“I requested the Pope to visit South Korea on the occasion of the 2027 World Youth Day, which will be held in Seoul next year, and also asked that, if possible, he will pursue a visit to North Korea, including a trip to the Demilitarized Zone," President Lee said.
At the Group of Seven summit held in Evian-les-Bains, France, President Lee had intensive discussions on pending issues, such as global economy and security.
President Lee participated in the latest G-7 Summit for the second straight year as an invited guest despite not being a member country, following Korea’s chair of APEC Korea 2025 in Gyeongju. Korea is to serve as the chair country of the upcoming G-20 Summit slated for 2028.
In his speech at an extended session, President Lee stressed solving the AI divide and the necessity for global solidarity, while proposing efforts to ramp up cooperation in energy, core mineral supply chains.
President Lee expanded his diplomatic networks by holding bilateral meetings with major global leaders on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit.
Noteworthy in the latest visit to Europe was President Lee’s unofficial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Meeting on several occasions during the G7 Summit, the two leaders talked for about 90 minutes at the dinner and discussed issues involving the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East. The president released a message, stressing that, “Korean-U.S. relations are solid and forever.”
President Lee had active exchanges with major global leaders. He held bilateral talks with Canada, Germany and Kenya, and discussed cooperation in the defense industry and expanded investments.
During his talks with Canada, President Lee discussed Korea’s bid for a Canadian submarine project and cooperation in strategic industries.
While participating in an official welcoming ceremony and dinner events, President Lee expanded his diplomatic activities through exchanges with major country leaders.
President Lee’s latest visit to Europe is evaluated to have made progress from a defensive perspective in trade negotiations with the EU and have reaffirmed his government’s initiative to diversify diplomacy while ramping up strategic cooperation with G7 member countries.
As for the achievements related to the G7 Summit, Cheong Wa Dae said Korea participated in the G7 Summit for the second straight year, solidifying its standing as a global responsible power pursuing “G7 Plus.”
Korea expressed its willingness to participate in the international community’s attempt to solve global pending issues and demonstrate its leadership regarding potential solutions, and related agendas as the chair country of the G20 Summit slated for 2028, Cheong Wa Dae added.
_한-이탈리아 정상회담.jpg)
