President Lee Jae-myung Attends G7 Summit to Discuss Post-War Middle East: Will He Meet Trump?

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a tour of Europe, arrived in France a short while ago to attend the G7 Summit. The leaders are set to discuss the rapidly changing international landscape, including the war in the Middle East. With U.S. President Donald Trump also expected to attend, there is keen interest in whether a South Korea-U.S. summit will take place.

Kang Cheongwan reports from Geneva.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung arrived at the venue for the G7 Summit in Evian, France, this afternoon (June 16, Korea Standard Time).

After arriving at Geneva Airport in Switzerland from Rome, Italy, earlier in the afternoon, President Lee traveled by car to Evian, which is about an hour away.

The G7 Summit is a consultative body where leaders from the seven nations—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada—along with representatives from the European Union, gather to discuss international issues.

France holds the presidency this year, and South Korea is participating as an invited guest for the second consecutive year, following the G7 summit in Canada last June.

Today, President Lee is scheduled to attend the first session, titled "Building New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity," where he will introduce the South Korean government's efforts to support international development aid.

With the United States and Iran having agreed to end-of-war negotiations, the post-war international order and issues regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz are also expected to be key agenda items at the summit.

[Wi Sung-lac / Director of the National Security Office: It is expected to be an important opportunity to solidify South Korea's status as a contributor to resolving global issues on a broader international stage where various international matters are discussed.]

President Lee also plans to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from various countries. In particular, there is significant interest in whether a surprise meeting, including a brief talk with U.S. President Donald Trump, will take place.

However, a high-ranking official from the Presidential Office stated, "While we are keeping the possibility of a meeting open, it is difficult to say that there has been any concrete progress."

With the final selection for Canada's submarine project approaching next month, the possibility of President Lee meeting separately with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to request South Korea's selection for the project is also being raised.

(Video reporting: Jung Sang-bo, Video editing: Jang Hyun-ki)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.