President Lee Jae-myung (left) speaks during a summit meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a hotel in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on June 16 (local time). / Reporter Kim Chang-gil

President Lee Jae-myung, currently visiting Canada to attend the G7 Summit, kicked off a series of diplomatic engagements on June 16 (local time) by holding bilateral talks with the president of South Africa and the prime minister of Australia. However, a highly anticipated summit between South Korea and the U.S. was canceled as U.S. President Donald Trump left the summit early. President Lee is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the afternoon of the 17th. This marks the resumption of summit diplomacy for South Korea, which had been largely suspended for about six months following former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration on December 3 of last year. The revival of such diplomacy is seen as a significant signal of the resilience of South Korean democracy to the international community.

Upon his arrival at Calgary International Airport in Canada, Lee held his first bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. It was Lee’s first in-person summit with a foreign leader since taking office. According to Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung, Lee expressed admiration for the late Nelson Mandela and told Ramaphosa, widely seen as Mandela’s political successor, “We both endured great hardships and overcame them to achieve meaningful accomplishments.” Ramaphosa responded, “South Africa and South Korea are valuable partners who share democratic values.”

Shortly afterward, Lee met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with whom he had held a phone call on June 12. Albanese noted the 75th anniversary of the Korean War, saying, “Australian troops fought alongside South Korea,” and emphasized that “Australia is a stable supplier of energy and resources to South Korea.” Lee replied, “Thanks to Australia’s deployment of a large number of troops, South Korea survived and stands here today,” adding, "There are many areas where we can continue to work together in the future."

The Australian Prime Minister also expressed his intention to visit South Korea for the APEC summit in Gyeongju this November. Lee responded, “I love Australia’s natural landscapes and have visited several times. I look forward to visiting again soon.” According to the presidential office, both leaders agreed to strengthen communication and cooperation to make substantive progress on peace on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korean nuclear issue.

The planned summit between South Korea and the U.S., which was initially scheduled for the 17th, was called off due to President Trump’s unexpected early departure from the summit. During a press briefing in Calgary, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said, “The U.S. had contacted us around the time the situation arose to ask for understanding."

There are discussions about rescheduling the Korea-U.S. summit during the NATO Summit set to take place in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24 and 25. A senior official at the presidential office said, “We are currently discussing the rescheduling of the summit through diplomatic channels.”

The summit between Korea and Japan is set for the afternoon of the 17th. A senior official from the presidential office said, “The discussion will focus on managing historical issues while enhancing cooperation,” and added, “We aim to foster a constructive and virtuous dialogue overall.”

Later that day, President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung attended a welcome reception hosted by the Premier of Alberta and a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Canada, where they engaged with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations.

On the second day of his visit to Canada, June 17, Lee is scheduled to hold talks with leaders of G7 member countries. During the expanded session, which includes invited countries, he is expected to deliver remarks on topics such as diversifying energy supply chains and the convergence of artificial intelligence and energy.