1 of 5 | South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (R) waves next to his wife Kim Hye-kyung before departing on Air Force One from Seoul Airport in Seongnam near Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, June, 16, 2025. Lee is heading to the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Canada for the first overseas trip of his presidency. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
SEOUL, June 16 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung departed for Canada on Monday to attend the Group of Seven summit, his first overseas engagement since taking office earlier this month.
Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung left from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam at around 4:30 p.m. to head to Calgary, Alberta. The visit marks a return to the global diplomatic stage for South Korea after a six-month power vacuum caused by impeached former President Yoon Suk-yeol's botched martial law attempt.
"Through this event, President Lee will build a bond with the leaders of each country and lay the foundation for achieving tangible results on pending issues, including trade issues," presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung told reporters on Monday.
The annual G7 summit brings together some of the world's largest economies, including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union. South Korea and several other countries were also invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
