President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung greet well-wishers aboard Air Force One at Seoul Airport in Seongnam on the 9th, as they depart to attend the G7 summit and tour Europe. Yonhap News
President Lee Jae-myung departed from Seoul Airport for Brussels, the Belgian capital, on Tuesday, beginning a 10-day Europe tour tied to his attendance at the Group of Seven (G7) summit.
In Belgium, his first stop, Lee will hold a summit with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and, in the afternoon, meet with King Philippe. He will also hold summit talks with António Costa, permanent president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
Lee will then travel to Rome for a state visit at the invitation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella. During this period, summits with President Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are each scheduled, followed by meetings with the speakers of Italy’s upper and lower houses and a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
After completing his Italy schedule, Lee will visit the Vatican to attend a special Mass for peace and solidarity and meet Pope Leo XIV to exchange messages wishing for peace across the world and on the Korean Peninsula. Finally, Lee will travel to Évian, France, to attend the G7 summit held June 16-17, taking part in leaders’ discussions on easing global imbalances and on artificial intelligence (AI) issues.
This marks his attendance at the G7 meeting for a second consecutive year, following last year. Lee plans to step up diplomacy toward Europe based on the achievements of the past year.