Alberta: President Lee Jae-myung will embark on a three-day trip to Canada this week to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, his office said Sunday, making a diplomatic debut on the global stage just less than two weeks into his term in office. Lee will depart for Alberta on Monday to participate in an expanded G7 session and hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of major economies on the sidelines of the summit, slated for Sunday to Tuesday (local time), National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the presidential office stated that the summit would serve as the first international stage to signal South Korea's return to normalcy and return to top-level diplomacy following political instability triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle in December. "It will be a meaningful opportunity to let the world know about the restoration of South Korea's democracy," Wi said. A senior presidential official mentioned that South Korea is open to holding a three-way summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
It was not yet clear whether Lee will have a bilateral meeting with Trump on the margins of the event, though consultations are currently underway, the official said. "There are tariffs and security-related issues between South Korea and the U.S.," the official stated. "President Lee's position is to address these challenges through close coordination with the U.S. If the two leaders meet, it is expected to serve as momentum to drive those negotiations forward."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited for the G7 summit. When asked whether Lee could hold a meeting with Zelenskyy if the Ukrainian president joins the summit, the official replied that relevant preparations were underway. Lee's vision for pragmatic diplomacy is expected to face an early test as he seeks to strengthen the alliance with the U.S. and bolster trilateral cooperation with Japan, while also keeping the door open for dialogue with North Korea and pledging to improve relations with China.
"It would serve as a good opportunity for (the president) to take the first step toward pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests," Wi said. "It would be very timely for him to have a chance to build trust early on through face-to-face meetings with the leaders of major countries, just 10 days after taking office."
On the first day, Lee will have a series of bilateral talks with leaders of non-G7 members in Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, and join an official dinner reception hosted by Canada. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to travel to the resort town of Kananaskis, located about 100 kilometers west of Calgary, to participate in an expanded G7 session. During the session, Lee will deliver a speech to introduce South Korea's vision for building a stable energy supply chain and artificial intelligence ecosystem, according to the office. He will return home late Wednesday.