President Lee Heads Home: "Will Translate European Tour Achievements into Tangible Changes for the Public"

By  Kang Min-u  | Jun 18, 2026

President Lee Heads Home: "Will Translate European Tour Achievements into Tangible Changes for the Public"
▲ President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung wave to well-wishers as they board the presidential aircraft at Geneva Airport in Switzerland on the 17th (local time), concluding their G7 summit and European tour.

President Lee Jae-myung has concluded his 10-day, 9-night European tour, which included attending the G7 summit, and is now on his way back to South Korea.

At approximately 5:00 p.m. local time on the 17th, President Lee boarded the presidential aircraft at Geneva International Airport, where he was seen off by Swiss Chief of Protocol Vileter, Deputy Chief of Protocol for the Geneva State Government Ben Salem, Ambassador to France Kwon Hyuk-woon, and Ambassador to Geneva Yoon Sung-mi.

Just before his departure, President Lee wrote on social media, "Above all, I will do my utmost with a heavy sense of responsibility to ensure that the achievements of this tour lead to tangible changes that the people can feel," adding, "I sincerely thank the citizens for their support."

During this tour, President Lee engaged in active diplomacy with Europe, holding a series of meetings with leaders from Belgium, the European Union (EU), Italy, the Holy See, and the G7 summit.

His strategy was to strengthen cooperation with Europe—a region that shares the values of multilateralism and free trade—and seek joint responses amidst a rapidly changing international order characterized by rising protectionism, supply chain instability, and growing uncertainty.

In his summit with the EU, President Lee produced a joint statement and signed a digital trade agreement, while also discussing the strengthening of economic, social, and cultural cooperation with Belgium and Italy.

At the G7 summit, he discussed global issues such as development aid and supply chain concerns, and held bilateral meetings with leaders from Canada, Germany, and Kenya.

Furthermore, through his meeting with Pope Leo XIV, President Lee expressed his commitment to the continued pursuit of a policy of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula and called for the international community's attention.

During the G7 summit, he also met with U.S. President Donald Trump and requested his leadership in resolving issues related to North Korea.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.