Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung left Friday for San Francisco, marking the start of his 11-day overseas journey that will include visits to three South American countries-his first such visit since assuming office in June 2025. During his two-day stay in San Francisco, the president is scheduled to engage with the leaders of four prominent global tech companies, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, to deliberate on potential investment and cooperation strategies. The meetings will also include tech firms Anthropic and Broadcom.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee is set to unveil a "San Francisco AI declaration" at a high-profile artificial intelligence (AI) event later in the day. This declaration aims to articulate South Korea's vision for advancing the AI industry while fostering global cooperation, as per presidential officials. Following his engagements in San Francisco, Lee's itinerary will take him to Brazil from Sunday through Wednesday, as part of his efforts to broaden South Korea's diplomatic and economic presence in South America.

The president's schedule in Brazil includes a summit with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia, as well as a business roundtable in Sao Paulo featuring South Korean and Brazilian companies. Lee's tour will then proceed to Chile and Argentina on Thursday and Friday, where he will hold summit talks with Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast and Argentine President Javier Milei, respectively.

The engagements with these resource-rich South American nations are anticipated to pave the way for the establishment of robust economic and security partnerships, as highlighted by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac earlier. Before concluding his trip, President Lee will make a brief stopover in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday to meet with South Korean residents, before returning home the following day.