Lee embarks on 8-night, 10-day Europe tour for summit diplomacy

President Lee Jae Myung departed Tuesday from Seoul Airport, kicking off an 8-night, 10-day tour of Europe.

Having wrapped up major domestic matters — including local elections and a press conference marking his first year in office — Lee is using the trip to sharpen his focus on governance in his second year and to reinvigorate his summit diplomacy.

"This is my first visit to Europe since taking office," Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "It is a journey to broaden the horizon of cooperation amid a complex global crisis and to further solidify the foundation of our economy and diplomacy."

Building on diplomatic gains from his administration's first year, Lee aims to expand South Korea's diplomatic stage beyond the United States and Japan into Europe, and to cement the country's standing as a major global power within the "G7 Plus" framework.

Lee will arrive in Brussels, Belgium, where he will open his European schedule with a dinner meeting with the Korean diaspora. He is set to hold summit talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and meet with King Philippe. He will also hold talks with EU leaders and attend a signing ceremony for agreements with the bloc.

Lee will travel to Rome on Wednesday local time for a state visit to Italy running through Saturday. He will hold summit talks with President Sergio Mattarella and conduct his third official meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

During the Italy visit, Lee plans to adopt the "2026–2030 Korea-Italy Strategic Action Plan," a blueprint for bilateral relations. He will also host a business roundtable bringing together companies in the semiconductor, aerospace, energy and biotech sectors to broaden the foundation for economic cooperation.

From Sunday, Lee will carry out a visit to the Vatican. He will attend a special Mass at St. Paul's Basilica before holding separate meetings with Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

The final leg of the tour is the G7 summit in Évian, France. A bilateral summit between Lee and the US president on the sidelines of the G7 has not yet been confirmed.

Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Jung Chung-rae and floor leader Han Byung-do were notably absent from the airport send-off. At a press conference the previous day, Lee had described the outcome of the June 3 local elections as "at least not a success," adding that "the opposition must thrust the spear well, but the ruling party must be the vessel." Some observers interpreted the party leadership's absence as a sign that they felt responsible for the election results.

Cheong Wa Dae said the number of officials attending the send-off — including presidential staff and Cabinet members — had been kept to a minimum "in consideration of the domestic situation, including the prolonged war in the Middle East and the need to respond to mismanagement at the National Election Commission."