Lee meets Belgian, EU leaders in Brussels to discuss Middle East, economic ties

President Lee Jae-myung, visiting Europe for the Group of Seven summit, is set to hold talks with the Belgian prime minister on Wednesday, the second day of his tour.

Lee is scheduled to meet Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever starting at 8 a.m., followed by an audience with King Philippe.

The meetings mark Lee's first encounters with Belgian leaders since taking office, and he plans to discuss concrete steps to elevate bilateral cooperation.

Talks are also expected to cover ways to expand cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises from both countries and to secure stable pathways for South Korean companies into the European market.

Belgium is home to the Port of Antwerp, the EU's second-largest port, and serves as a hub for European logistics as well as a center for chemical and biotech cluster industries. Lee hopes the summit will help lay the groundwork for South Korean companies to expand across the continent.

Later Wednesday afternoon, Lee will hold summit talks with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, followed by a signing ceremony.

The EU is the world's largest trading bloc and South Korea's third-largest trading partner, encompassing 450 million people, 27 member states and a GDP of 18 trillion euros.

Even as protectionism spreads globally, South Korea and the EU have maintained roughly $130 billion in trade underpinned by their free trade agreement, with bilateral goods trade hitting a record high last year.

A South Korean president's visit to Brussels for talks with EU leaders will be the first in eight years. Cheong Wa Dae said the visit is expected to serve as a turning point for South Korea to broaden its engagement with Europe, building on the diplomatic achievements of the government's first year in office.

Lee intends to use the visit to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in the Middle East and issues related to peace on the Korean Peninsula, while expanding security cooperation with the EU.

Building on the Security and Defense Partnership adopted between the two sides in 2024, Lee plans to pursue closer intelligence sharing with the EU and strengthen cooperation against transnational crimes including drug trafficking and terrorism.

With global uncertainty deepening amid conflicts including the war in the Middle East, Lee also plans to explore coordination on energy, supply chain stability and critical minerals.

After concluding his schedule in Belgium, Lee will depart Wednesday evening for Rome, the second stop on his tour.