South Korea ramps up diplomacy before G20 meeting

President Lee Jae-myung left for South Africa on Nov. 21 local time to attend the Group of 20 summit, following a five-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. He is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Germany and France.

On the morning of the same day, Lee traveled from Cairo to Johannesburg, the host city of this year’s G20 summit. During the events beginning Nov. 22, he is set to hold his first summit with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz since taking office. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lak said in a briefing the previous day, “Germany is our largest trading partner in Europe and, like South Korea, a major manufacturing power. The summit will include discussions on ways to strengthen economic cooperation in response to changes in the international and economic order.”

Lee is also scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders had planned to hold talks in New York last September during Lee’s visit for the U.N. General Assembly, but France requested a postponement due to domestic circumstances. Wi said, “Ahead of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France next year, and with France set to assume the G7 presidency, the two countries agreed to work closely together on global developments and a wide range of economic and security issues.”

Lee will also meet with leaders of MIKTA, a consultative group comprising Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye and Australia. “South Korea is serving as chair this year,” Wi said. “We plan to host a leaders’ meeting to discuss ways to reinforce multilateralism and promote international cooperation.”

Amid intensifying U.S.-China rivalry, Lee’s consecutive meetings with the leaders of Germany, France and MIKTA highlight Seoul’s efforts to diversify its diplomacy. Wi said, “To advance a national-interest-centered and pragmatic foreign policy, South Korea must expand its diplomatic horizon beyond the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.” He added that at the G20 summit, held under the themes of solidarity, equality and sustainability, the government will work to strengthen South Korea’s status as a responsible global actor and create conditions for restoring a multilateral trading system.

The United States, China and Russia will not send their leaders to this year’s G20 summit. It is the first time since the group was established in 1999 that all three leaders will be absent. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would not attend, claiming that “white farmers are being massacred in South Africa and their land is being illegally seized.”

China will send Premier Li Qiang, its second-highest-ranking official, in place of President Xi Jinping. Russia will be represented by Maxim Oreshkin, deputy chief of staff, instead of President Vladimir Putin.

South Korea will host the G20 summit in 2028.


Hoon-Sang Park tigermask@donga.com