President Lee Jae-myung Arrives in Calgary for G7 Summit

On June 16, local time, President Lee Jae-myung arrived at Calgary International Airport in Alberta, Canada, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung. This visit marks his participation in the G7 summit, where South Korea, although not a member, is attending as an observer at the invitation of Canada, the chair country. This is the fifth time South Korea has been invited to the G7.

During his two-day diplomatic schedule, President Lee is set to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other invited countries starting on the afternoon of June 16. The G7 summit includes member nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Canada, along with seven invited countries including South Korea, Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Ukraine.

On June 16, President Lee will meet with leaders from the invited countries, and on June 17, he will participate in a group photo session with both member and invited country leaders before attending an expanded session focused on 'energy security.' The President is expected to speak twice on topics including the diversification of energy supply chains and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with energy, as stated by the presidential office.

A significant highlight of President Lee's G7 agenda is the anticipated South Korea-U.S. and South Korea-Japan summits. The presidential office has confirmed that preparations for these meetings are underway and are in the final stages.

If the South Korea-U.S. summit takes place, discussions are likely to address the high tariffs set to be implemented by the U.S. next month. In a press conference aboard his flight to Canada, President Lee emphasized the importance of ensuring that South Korea does not face a disadvantage compared to other countries in tariff negotiations, indicating he would request President Donald Trump to refrain from imposing higher tariffs on South Korea.

Should the South Korea-Japan summit occur, President Lee will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan. National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lak mentioned in a press conference on June 15 that there was a productive conversation during the last call between the leaders of South Korea and Japan, and he expressed hope that this meeting would build on that positive dialogue, especially given the significance of this anniversary year.