President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung attended a concert and official dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit Monday. As President Lee headed to the dinner venue after a commemorative photo session at the concert, he drew attention by personally introducing First Lady Kim Hye-kyung to President Donald Trump as "My Wife."
In response to President Lee's introduction, Kim also greeted Trump in English, and Trump was seen warmly shaking hands in reply.
According to the presidential office, after the concert, President Lee and his wife attended the official dinner hosted by President Macron and First Lady Brigitte. President Lee communicated by exchanging views related to the main agenda of the G7 summit while engaging with the leaders of various countries and their spouses, as well as representatives of international organizations.
At the dinner, President Lee was seated right next to U.S. President Donald Trump and discussed matters of mutual interest. The presidential office explained that President Lee used the welcoming event as "an opportunity to build friendship and trust with the leaders of various countries in a more relaxed atmosphere." It added that he further solidified friendly relations with the leaders of G7 member countries and invited nations.
President Lee also held a chat of about 30 seconds with President Trump during the summit's commemorative photo session that day. According to Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, Trump asked President Lee about the latest developments in inter-Korean relations, and President Lee requested, "Just as President Trump resolved the Middle East war, please also lead a peaceful resolution of the North Korea issue." In response to President Lee's request, Trump expressed his intention to "make efforts to resolve the North Korea issue."
Although it was a brief chat, it is assessed as carrying significant meaning in that Trump was the first to mention inter-Korean relations. As the international community focuses on follow-up measures after the end of the Middle East war and on ways to stabilize the Strait of Hormuz, the moment is interpreted as showing that Trump recognizes the North Korea issue as central to his foreign policy.
