Lee arrives in Brussels for 10-day tour of Europe ahead of G7 summit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung left on Tuesday for the first European tour of his administration as he prepares to attend a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies.

Observers are watching to see whether he meets with US President Donald Trump during the G7 event.

On Tuesday, Lee arrived in Brussels to begin a 10-day visit with stops in multiple European countries. Before his departure from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, he posted a message on the social media platform X stating, “This is my first visit to Europe since taking office. This visit is meant to broaden the horizons of cooperation at a time of complex global crisis and to further strengthen the base for our economy and diplomacy.”

On Wednesday, Lee was scheduled to have a summit with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and a meeting with King Philippe. He was also scheduled to have meetings with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

From Thursday to Saturday, Lee is set to visit Italy as a guest of the state. This is the first state visit to a European country during his administration. He is scheduled to have summits in Italy with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

On June 14 and 15, he will be attending a special mass for peace and unity at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

During a July 2025 meeting with Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, a South Korean prelate of the Catholic Church, Lee stated that he was “working to open the doors for dialogue by improving inter-Korean relations, easing tensions, and building trust.” He added that he was “looking forward to the support and cooperation of the Holy See.”

On June 16 and 17, Lee will be attending the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. Trump will also be at the event, which raises the possibility of a pull-aside meeting taking place between South Korea and the US.

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter; Shim Woo-sam, staff reporter