President Lee’s G7 Debut: Diplomatic signals, missed meetings, and what comes next?

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is stepping onto the global stage faster than any other Korean leader before him, making his diplomatic debut at the G7 Summit in Canada.

On his first day there, he held bilateral talks with the South African president and Canadian officials, discussing economic cooperation and regional stability.

He also met with Australia's prime minister to reaffirm ties and coordinate actions on North Korea.

Many are now looking forward to a key summit with Japan's prime minister scheduled for tomorrow.

But a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump was cancelled following Trump's early departure amid urgent developments in the Middle East.

So what do these early moves tell us about President Lee's diplomatic approach — and what might they signal about Korea's evolving role on the world stage?

For answers to this, we invited Robert Kelly, professor of International Relations at Pusan National University. Welcome.

We're also joined by Choi Hyun Jin, professor of Political Science at Kyung Hee University. Good to see you.

1. (KELLY) To start with the big picture, Prof. Kelly, President Lee Jae-myung is stepping onto the global diplomatic stage less than two weeks into his post. Do you view this as a strategic reboot of Korea's high-level diplomacy following the months-long pause after the martial law crisis?

2. (CHOI) From a domestic and regional standpoint, how significant is it that President Lee chose the G7 as his first overseas platform? Does this choice reflect a particular diplomatic signal?

3. (CHOI) So today we heard the most anticipated summit with the U.S. has been called off due to President Trump's early return to Washington. Prof.Choi, what kind of diplomatic impact does this have on President Lee's debut? Does the cancellation signal any challenges to the current state of the alliance?

4. (KELLY) Though the summit had been cancelled, Prof.Kelly, what key issues do you think Seoul was hoping to advance — and would you expect a potential face-to-face between the two sides in the near future?

5. (KELLY) Meanwhile, President Lee already held bilateral meetings with Australia and South Africa — two key players in the global south. How do you interpret this early outreach? Is it part of a broader strategy to diversify Korea's diplomatic portfolio beyond traditional alliances?

6. (CHOI) So tomorrow, we are expecting a summit with Japan. With the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 80th year since liberation, what substantive outcomes do you expect Prof. Choi?

7. (CHOI) As the G7 summit progresses, China is hosting a rival summit in Central Asia. Prof. Choi, what does this parallel diplomacy reveal about the current power competition in the region? And how might that influence the tone or priorities of G7 discussions?

8. (KELLY) So it looks like China is working to deepen ties in Central Asia and the U.S. is reaffirming alliances at the G7, where does this landscape leave middle powers such as South Korea?

9. (KELLY) Now, as for North Korea, Prof.Kelly, do you see any opportunity — formal or informal — during the G7 for movement on the North Korean nuclear issue?

10. (CHOI) Finally, looking ahead, what should we watch for in President Lee's next moves on the diplomatic front? Has this G7 debut provided any clues about how his foreign policy will take shape?