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President-elect Lee Jae-myung (from left) is expected to initiate summit diplomacy immediately after taking office as the 21st president by holding phone calls with key world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. / Source: Song Ui-joo, songuijoo@, Reuters, EPA pool

President-elect Lee Jae-myung is expected to swiftly initiate diplomatic normalization immediately upon taking office. With a virtual diplomatic vacuum continuing since last year’s emergency martial law under the previous administration, establishing communication with key world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, is likely to be a top priority. Lee is also expected to deliver his first major international message on the global stage at high-profile events such as the Group of Seven (G7) summit and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.

Lee is highly likely to hold phone calls with leaders of major countries, including the United States, Japan, and China, immediately after his inauguration. For reference, former President Moon Jae-in, who began his term in May 2017 without a transition committee following the impeachment of his predecessor, spoke with then-President Trump on his inauguration day, May 10. He followed up with calls to then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 11, and to Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 12.

Lee’s debut in multilateral diplomacy is expected to take place at the upcoming G7 and NATO summits. In particular, if he attends the G7 summit scheduled for June 15-17 in Alberta, Canada, it will likely serve as his first meeting with President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The summit host, Canada, has announced its intention to invite non-member leaders from Australia and South Korea. Australia has already received an invitation, and while there has yet to be official contact with South Korea through diplomatic channels, a formal invitation is expected to be sent shortly after the new government is inaugurated. Though time is tight, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly preparing necessary administrative procedures in case the new president’s participation is confirmed.

Additionally, Lee is also expected to receive an invitation to the NATO summit scheduled for June 24-25 in The Hague, Netherlands. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, South Korea has been invited annually as part of the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) group.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated last month that it has been making working-level preparations to enable immediate diplomatic activity by the new administration. "We are proceeding with the necessary administrative steps to ensure that the new president can engage in normal diplomatic activities right after the inauguration," a ministry official told reporters at the time.

Furthermore, attention is also turning to Lee’s potential role at this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to send official invitations under the new president’s name to leaders of APEC member countries through formal diplomatic channels.