President Lee Jae-myung, who has embarked on a tour of Europe, arrived Monday in Brussels, Belgium, his first destination. Lee will begin his 10-day, nine-night tour with a dinner meeting with members of the Korean diaspora that day.
Before departure, Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Belgium "is Europe's logistics hub and has an innovative ecosystem for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises," adding it "will be a reliable partner in expanding companies' entry into Europe and creating new growth opportunities." This year marks the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Belgium.
On the 10th, Lee will hold a summit with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and meet with King Philippe. He is then scheduled to hold summits the same day with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The summit with Belgium will discuss promoting bilateral trade, expanding cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises, and exchanges between educational institutions, while trade and security cooperation will be the main agenda with the EU.
From the 11th to the 13th, Lee will visit Italy. It is a state visit at the invitation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella. In Italy, Lee will hold a summit with President Mattarella and also meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He will also hold meetings with the speakers of Italy's upper and lower houses. In particular, a "Korea-Italy Business Round Table" will be held in Italy, with exchanges between companies of the two countries also planned.
From the 14th to the 15th, Lee will visit the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV and attend a "Special Mass for Peace and Solidarity" held at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. At this event, Lee is expected to express his commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula and appeal for the international community's support.
He will then attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France from the 16th to the 17th to conclude his tour. The theme of this G7 summit is easing global imbalances and addressing AI and digital issues, and with U.S. President Donald Trump also set to attend, the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders is drawing attention.
