The Peninsula

South Korea’s Diplomatic Comeback at the G7

From June 16 to 17, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. This was Lee’s debut on the global stage just thirteen days after he was elected to office. Despite very little time to prepare for multilateral summit meetings, Lee’s attendance offered a timely opportunity to restore international confidence in South Korea. He held nine bilateral summit meetings with the leaders of South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, India, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, and Canada, indicating a return to and resumption of South Korea’s diplomacy and global engagement.

Although South Korea is not a formal member of the G7, its continued participation since being first invited in June 2021 demonstrates South Korea’s rising international stature and increasing role in global affairs, particularly as international governance institutions are increasingly fragmented and struggling to cope with ongoing wars, conflicts, and disruptions in many other aspects of the global economy.

Although the G7 Summit was overshadowed by the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and, subsequently, U.S. President Donald Trump’s early departure, one of the key outcomes of the summit was the reaffirmation of South Korea-Japan cooperation during a bilateral meeting between President Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. While Ishiba was the second foreign leader Lee spoke with by phone after his election—showing the importance the Lee administration places on the bilateral relationship—there was lingering concern and skepticism about his approach toward Japan. Their first summit, held just five days before the sixtieth anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, therefore marked a critical step forward.

Both leaders acknowledged the importance of sustained bilateral cooperation, despite differences over historical and territorial disputes, and agreed to continue shuttle diplomacy between Seoul and Tokyo. Although this does not rule out the possibility of renewed tensions over historical or territorial issues, President Lee’s emphasis on a “future-oriented” relationship signals a clear intention to maintain South Korea’s policy continuity toward Japan regardless of a change of government in Seoul. It was a promising start—one that set bilateral ties on a positive trajectory and could help generate fresh momentum for trilateral cooperation with the United States.

The escalating Israel-Iran conflict inadvertently disrupted Lee’s planned summit meeting with Trump. It was a missed opportunity for both leaders, where they could discuss a wide range of important issues that had been delayed for nearly six months due to South Korea’s domestic political crisis. The fast-approaching deadline for the U.S. tariff suspensions inevitably puts added pressure and urgency on the Lee government to reschedule the summit, with the upcoming NATO Summit in late June as a potential venue.

Lee’s meeting with Trump is expected to take place on the sidelines of the NATO summit, provided both leaders attend. However, it may not be the best setting for a meaningful, in-depth conversation between the two leaders. With thirty-two member states and numerous partner countries participating, Trump may be preoccupied with broader issues such as the European countries’ defense spending or distracted by ongoing crises like the Israel-Iran conflict and the war in Ukraine. Trump’s known preference for bilateral over multilateral engagements also adds further uncertainty about what may happen at the NATO summit. In short, there is a risk that South Korea could find itself in the position of being perceived as chasing Trump for attention rather than securing a focused, substantive dialogue. Such optics do not serve the alliance and should be avoided.

This highlights the need for alliance managers in both Washington and Seoul to prepare a dedicated, standalone summit at the White House. At the same time, the Lee administration should use the NATO summit as an opportunity to strengthen ties with European leaders. Renewed partnership with the European countries would be valuable to South Korea in and of itself, but also in the context of North Korea’s expanding partnership with Russia. Although Lee expressed his desire during his presidential campaign to improve relations with Russia as part of his pragmatic foreign policy, that diplomatic space appears to be increasingly limited, particularly after North Korea’s decision this week to send 6,000 workers and soldiers to the Kursk region.

As the global security environment continues to shift and uncertainties persist, expectations will grow for South Korea to step up and play a larger role in global affairs. This is the responsibility South Korea must bear as the country becomes increasingly engaged with the G7 and other global fora. Lee’s pragmatic diplomacy based on national interest must be ready to meet the rising demands.

Ellen Kim is director of academic affairs at KEI.

Photo from the Democratic Party of South Korea.

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