Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung returned home Wednesday from his four-nation swing to the Middle East and Africa, where he focused on expanding economic ties with the Global South and engaged in multilateral diplomacy at the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee's 10-day visit included stops in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Turkey. The trip coincided with his attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa, where he explored ways to boost economic cooperation in sectors such as defense, nuclear energy, infrastructure, and cultural industries.

The G20 meeting served as the final leg of his multilateral diplomatic efforts for the year. Prior to this, Lee had attended the Group of Seven summit, the U.N. General Assembly, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, and South Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

During his summits with leaders from the UAE, Egypt, and Turkey, President Lee discussed strategies to enhance economic partnerships with these countries, which are critical to South Korea's trade, energy security, and strategic cooperation in the long term.

In Cairo, Lee introduced the SHINE initiative, representing stability, harmony, innovation, network, and education. This initiative aims to deepen South Korea's engagement in the Middle East and support sustainable regional collaboration.