SEOUL, June 16 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung departed for Canada on Monday to attend the Group of Seven summit, his first overseas engagement since taking office earlier this month.
Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung left from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam at around 4:30 p.m. to head to Calgary, Alberta. The visit marks a return to the global diplomatic stage for South Korea after a six-month power vacuum caused by impeached former President Yoon Suk-yeol's botched martial law attempt.
"Through this event, President Lee will build a bond with the leaders of each country and lay the foundation for achieving tangible results on pending issues, including trade issues," presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung told reporters on Monday.
The annual G7 summit brings together some of the world's largest economies, including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union. South Korea and several other countries were also invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
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After arriving in Calgary, Lee is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from the invited countries. He will then travel to the summit location of Kananaskis on Tuesday and deliver remarks at a session on AI and energy supply chains.
Lee also plans to hold talks with the leaders of the G7 member states, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said at a press briefing Sunday.
The G7 summit "will be the first international stage to inform the international community that democratic Korea is back," Wi said.
"This will be a great opportunity to take the first step in practical diplomacy centered on national interests," he said. "It is very timely that President Lee will have the opportunity to build trust early through face-to-face meetings with the leaders of major countries, just 10 days after taking office."
The summit may provide Lee with the opportunity for his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to address several pressing issues, including trade negotiations, defense cost-sharing and North Korean threats.
The two leaders spoke shortly after Lee's inauguration and agreed to work toward reaching a mutually acceptable trade agreement, including on tariffs.
Also potentially on the agenda is a first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Seoul and Tokyo saw their historically strained relations improve under the administration of Lee's predecessor, President Yoon. Lee and Ishiba affirmed the importance of continued cooperation in their first phone call last week and stressed the need to maintain trilateral ties with the United States in the face of a challenging security environment in the region.
The two countries are commemorating the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations next week.
