Johannesburg: President Lee Jae Myung concluded his three-day visit to South Africa for the Group of 20 (G20) summit and has set off for Turkey, marking the final destination in his diplomatic tour across the Middle East and Africa.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee's participation in the G20 summit signified the culmination of his multilateral diplomacy efforts this year. His engagements included the Group of Seven summit in Canada, the U.N. General Assembly in New York, and South Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Lee arrived in Johannesburg after visiting the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, actively participating in all G20 sessions over the weekend.

During his interactions at the summit, Lee emphasized the need to revitalize the World Trade Organization's multilateral trading system, enhance collaborative measures to combat climate change, and ensure equitable access to artificial intelligence technologies. With South Korea slated to assume the rotating presidency of the G20 in 2028, Lee pledged to host the summit with a commitment to strengthening global economic cooperation.

On the sidelines of the summit, Lee engaged in a series of bilateral and multilateral discussions, including meetings with leaders from France, Germany, India, and Brazil. Additionally, he participated in a session of MIKTA, a middle-power grouping that includes Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, and Australia.

The G20 summit effectively concluded Lee's schedule for multilateral diplomacy this year. Meanwhile, South Korea, China, and Japan have reportedly been in discussions to organize their first trilateral summit since May 2024. However, the timing remains uncertain due to a diplomatic dispute between Tokyo and Beijing following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.