South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s attendance at the Group of Seven summit signals that the country is “back in the game”, according to analysts, as the move allows Seoul to press ahead with its long-term goal of becoming a member of an expanded G7.
Sworn in as his country’s new president last Wednesday, Lee would attend the three-day G7 summit to be held in Canada from Sunday, the presidential office said on Saturday.
This would mark his first overseas trip since he took office and his debut on the global diplomatic stage, following his election earlier this month, brought on by the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk-yeol.
Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly after declaring martial law in December. The constitutional court upheld the verdict in a unanimous decision in April, removing him from office.
South Korea is not a G7 member state but had been invited to the expanded G7 sessions in 2021 and 2023, when Britain and Japan were the respective hosts.
The G7 major industrial countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States.
