South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made his diplomatic debut by participating in the G7 Summit. What achievements did government officials emphasize?

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung returned to Korea on the 19th after attending the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, western Canada. He took office as president on the 4th of this month.
For Lee, this was his debut in face-to-face diplomacy at the G7 Summit. During his stay in South Korea, Lee held his first summit meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and held talks with leaders of nine countries and regions on a variety of topics, including the economy.
This year, South Korea was invited to the G7 summit for the first time in two years. Although South Korea is not a G7 member, it has previously hosted the summit in 2021, when the UK chaired the summit, and in 2022, when Japan chaired the summit.
South Korea was invited to attend the G7 Summit in 2023, when it was the longest-serving country. However, South Korea was not invited to the G7 Summit held in Italy in June last year.
Since former President Yoon declared "emergency martial law" in December last year, South Korea's top priority has been rebuilding domestic politics, and summit diplomacy has been limited.
The participation in the G7 summit was a golden opportunity for South Korea to demonstrate to the world the restoration of democracy. However, there were initial concerns within the Lee administration that South Korea should not participate in the summit.
There were also voices urging him to refrain from attending and focus on domestic affairs, as Lee had just taken office as president and personnel changes, including in the fields of foreign affairs and security, were still underway.
He reportedly considered joining, but decided to go ahead with it, saying it was necessary to show that South Korea, which had been in turmoil since former President Yoon declared "emergency martial law," had returned to normal.
At the G7 summit, Lee spoke about South Korea's efforts to tackle the energy supply chain and other issues facing the international community in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
During his two-day stay there, he met with leaders of nine countries and regions individually. On the afternoon of the 17th (morning of the 18th Japan time), he held a Japan-Korea summit with Prime Minister Ishiba. At the beginning of the meeting, Ishiba said,
He congratulated Lee on his inauguration as president, saying, "This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, and we should make this a memorable year. I hope that exchanges between not only governments and companies, but also between the people themselves will become more active, and that cooperation and collaboration between Japan and South Korea will flourish."
"I hope that this relationship will become a great force for the region and the world," Lee said. Regarding the relationship between the two countries, he said, "In our country, the relationship between Japan and Korea is called 'close yet distant countries.' It's like sharing a garden together.
"We have a relationship that is inseparable, like two neighbors who are close to each other," he said, adding, "Although there are small differences and differences of opinion, we will overcome these differences and further develop a relationship that will help each other in various ways."
"I hope that we can continue to build a strong and mature relationship in the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations," he said.
They also confirmed their intention to resume "shuttle diplomacy," a system of mutual visits between the leaders of Japan and South Korea, and to aim for the stable development of Japan-South Korea relations.
The two countries are important neighbors who should cooperate as partners in addressing various issues facing the international community, and the importance of Japan-Korea relations and Japan-U.S.-Korea cooperation remains unchanged in the current strategic environment.
According to the Mainichi Shimbun, a South Korean government official emphasized, "It was a friendly meeting. It is a clear signal that South Korea and Japan are moving toward a cooperative relationship."
Regarding the first Japan-Korea summit between Ishiba and Lee, the Yomiuri Shimbun said, "The path to strengthening Japan-Korea relations that was pursued under the previous administration of President Yoon Seok-yeol is set to continue.
Lee has often made critical remarks about Japan in the past, but he has recently put a stop to his anti-Japanese sentiment, calling for a "pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests." During the meeting, they exchanged views on the issue of historical perception.
However, according to a Mainichi Shimbun report citing a South Korean government official, this was not the focus of the discussion.
Lee's diplomatic debut at the G7 summit drew much attention.
The first meeting with U.S. President Trump did not take place because Trump returned to Japan ahead of schedule to prioritize his response to the situation in the Middle East. However, he has been deepening his friendship with the leaders of various countries and discussing pending issues such as the international situation.
After Lee's Canadian tour ended, South Korean Presidential Advisor Wi Seong-rak said at a press conference that "South Korea's summit diplomacy has been fully restored."
According to Yonhap News Agency, the presidential office cited Lee's participation in the G7 summit as an achievement in signaling to the international community that South Korea's democracy has been restored and summit diplomacy has been revived.
He also emphasized that it is significant that Lee's "pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests" has taken its first step.