[On-point] S. Korea's Lee attends G7 summit, his first diplomatic trip since taking office

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is on his first diplomatic trip since taking office and has engaged with leaders from countries including Australia and Japan.

For more on the G7 summit and Lee's visit to Canada, we're joined by Professor Mason Richey,.. Professor of International Politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Professor Richey, thanks for joining us this morning.

1. President Lee held a bilateral meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister. What's your overall assessment of today's meeting, and how do you think President Lee should navigate relations with Japan throughout his term?

2. At the G7 summit, U.S. President Donald Trump said that kicking Russia out of the group was a "mistake" and even suggested that adding China is not a bad idea. Is Trump interested in turning the G7 back into the G8, or even expanding it to a G9 with China?

3. President Lee was not able to hold a meeting with Trump, as the U.S. leader left the G7 early because of the conflict between Israel and Iran. How do you think the situation in the Middle East will unfold? And how could this possibly affect South Korea?

4. The U.S. and the UK signed a trade deal in Canada, while Japan did not. What's your take on this? Do you think South Korea will be able to reach a trade agreement with the Trump administration before the July deadline?

5. President Lee said he'll focus on "pragmatic diplomacy," as he faces the challenge of balancing between Korea's biggest security ally, the U.S. and biggest trading partner, China. How do you think he should navigate this?

Alright. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today.

Thank you for your insight. We appreciate it.