Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed on Wednesday his intention to undertake multiple overseas trips for summit diplomacy, emphasizing the need to maximize their potential benefits within his constitutionally "limited" term.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee made these comments during a meeting with a group of Korean residents in France, marking the conclusion of his four-day visit for a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. He stated, "I have scheduled many overseas visits during the initial stage of my presidency." He further explained that the effectiveness of overseas diplomacy is contingent upon initiating such efforts early in his tenure, given the constitutional constraints on his term.

Amidst speculations by opposition party lawmakers that President Lee might be aiming for reelection through a constitutional amendment, he clarified that the current Constitution prohibits changes to the presidential system from affecting the incumbent president. Nonetheless, both President Lee and his ruling Democratic Party are advocating for a constitutional revision to transition to a four-year, two-term presidential system, replacing the existing single five-year term.

President Lee underscored that summit diplomacy, when delayed in a presidency, tends to yield limited benefits despite successful execution. He stressed that early engagement in summit diplomacy could foster new opportunities for investment, economic growth, and security cooperation. Highlighting South Korea's rising global influence, President Lee committed to ensuring his diplomatic efforts do not cause public concern, vowing to capitalize on the nation's enhanced international standing.