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President Lee Jae-myung (fifth from right in the back row) poses for a group photo with G7 and invited country leaders at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 17. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung marked a dynamic debut on the global diplomatic stage during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, holding eight bilateral meetings in one day with leaders from Japan, the UK, India, Brazil, and others. Through these high-level talks, Lee promoted a message of Korea’s democratic resilience and declared the country’s return to active summit diplomacy.

On June 17 (local time), Lee sat down with leaders from Brazil, Mexico, India, the UK, the European Union, Japan, and Canada, as well as the UN Secretary-General, making clear South Korea’s intent to deepen international partnerships across economics, security, and diplomacy.

“President Lee delivered a strong message that ‘democratic Korea is back,’” said Wi Sung-lac, Director of National Security at the Presidential Office, during a local briefing. “Most of the leaders he met commended Korea’s political recovery and the resilience of its democracy.”

During his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Lee expressed a willingness to improve bilateral relations and proposed joint efforts on global trade issues—showcasing his signature brand of pragmatic diplomacy. In his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lee emphasized the 10th anniversary of the two countries’ “Special Strategic Partnership” and expressed hopes to elevate the relationship to new heights through strategic and comprehensive cooperation.

Trade was also a key topic in Lee’s meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer said he hoped to strengthen cooperation on defense as well as update the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Lee responded, “It seems we need further progress on revising the FTA,” and added, “I hope this becomes a good opportunity to enhance our existing cooperative ties.”

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In talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in security, defense, energy security, and future-oriented sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI). Lee conveyed Korea’s interest in participating in Canada’s submarine procurement project as part of closer defense-industrial collaboration between the allies.

At the G7 Outreach Session, Lee delivered a speech underscoring the importance of energy security and the stabilization of critical mineral supply chains. He also expressed Korea’s commitment to helping build a secure and reliable global AI ecosystem.

After wrapping up his G7 schedule, President Lee departed for home late on June 18.