South Korea President Lee wraps up G7 summit with 'new leap forward in diplomacy'
CALGARY, (Canada)/SEOUL: President Lee Jae Myung wrapped up Wednesday (June 18) his three-day visit to Canada, where he attended the Group of Seven summit as a guest — a milestone his administration has touted as the restoration of South Korea's summit diplomacy.
Before heading back to Seoul, Lee hailed the G7 summit and a flurry of bilateral talks as 'signaling a new leap forward in South Korea's diplomacy,' in a post on his Facebook account.
The trip, which marked Lee's debut on the global stage just two weeks after taking office, served as an opportunity for the new president to reassure South Korea's international partners of its economic and security stability, according to his office.
The G7 Summit offered Lee an early platform to engage with the G7 leaders and other invited heads of state, allowing him to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties while outlining his vision for 'pragmatic diplomacy,' his office said.
According to officials, many of the leaders he met commended South Korea's recent restoration of democratic stability following its domestic political crisis.
"South Korea's summit diplomacy has been fully restored," Wi Sung-lac, director of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters Tuesday.
"Amid the seismic shift in the world's economic security landscape, South Korea actively engaged in discussions over global current affairs while manifesting (South Korea's) visions and roles," he added.
According to the presidential office, Lee delivered remarks twice during the expanded G7 summit session on Tuesday afternoon.
Behind closed doors, Lee's remarks heralded South Korea's vision of seeking international cooperation to make artificial intelligence technology available to all humankind, in line with his campaign pledges.
Lee proposed the idea of turning South Korea into the "leading AI hub" through the so-called "nationwide AI transformation" bolstered by aggressive tax relief, a deregulatory push and a private-sector fund composed of contributions from ordinary citizens.
Lee also noted in his remarks that increased electricity consumption due to the rise of AI highlights the importance of robust energy security and stability in supply chains of energy-related critical minerals.
To achieve this, Lee expressed his determination to seek stronger ties with producers of critical minerals through bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
Related moves are already underway, including South Korea's participation in the Minerals Security Partnership and the launch of a critical minerals dialogue between South Korea and Africa.
Lee also proposed the launch of energy infrastructure with enhanced efficiency, including projects such as the so-called "energy highway," or ultrahigh-voltage direct current transmission cables built underwater.
He also proposed the introduction of microgrids, energy storage systems, and an AI-powered electricity supply system to boost efficiency.
Moreover, as a G7 guest, Lee signed two documents at the summit, which are the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter and the G7 Critical Mineral Action Plan.
"These achievements clearly proved South Korea's status as a 'G7 Plus' country," Wi said, suggesting that Lee's attendance boded well for the Lee administration's efforts to position South Korea for inclusion in a potential expanded G7 forum.
A widely anticipated meeting between Lee and US President Donald Trump did not ultimately occur during his three-day visit, as the US leader abruptly cut short his trip late Monday amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran.
Lee's office said it will continue to seek a one-on-one meeting with Trump at an early date, aiming to inject momentum into ongoing working-level trade talks between Seoul and Washington.
The talks are under growing time pressure, with a 90-day pause on proposed 25 percent "reciprocal" tariffs set to expire on July 9.
One possible venue for a bilateral meeting is the upcoming NATO summit in the Netherlands, scheduled for June 24–25 should both leaders attend. - The Korea Herald/ANN
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