President Lee Vows "Tangible Changes for the People"... Schedules Golf with Trump at Dinner

Return from European Tour
Close Communication with Trump on Korea-U.S. Alliance
Praise for Efforts Leading to End-of-War Agreement
Agreement on Safe Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
Shared Hopes for Oil Price and Global Economic Stab

President Lee Jae-myung concluded his ten-day tour of Europe on June 18 and returned to Korea via Seoul Airport in Seongnam, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung.

President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump are taking a commemorative photo at the official dinner of the Group of Seven (G7) summit held on the 16th (local time) in Evian-les-Bains, France. Photo by Yonhap News

Just before boarding his return flight, President Lee shared his thoughts on Facebook, stating, "It was a meaningful time during which I once again felt the heightened status and responsibility of the Republic of Korea amid the rapidly changing international order." He added, "Above all, I will do my utmost with an even greater sense of responsibility to ensure that the outcomes of this trip lead to tangible changes that the people can truly feel."

On the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, President Lee met with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the Korean Peninsula peace initiative and foster closer ties. Although no official summit was held, President Lee sat next to President Trump during a dinner hosted by France, the host country, and the two leaders conversed for 90 minutes.

In connection with this, Oh Hyunjoo, the third deputy director of the National Security Office, explained at a local briefing, "At the official dinner hosted by President Macron and his wife on the 16th, President Lee and President Trump exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues, including the Korea-U.S. alliance, the situation in the Middle East, and matters concerning the Korean Peninsula."

President Lee first welcomed the conclusion of the peace negotiations between the United States and Iran and congratulated President Trump on reaching the agreement on his birthday. He also praised President Trump's efforts toward establishing peace in the Middle East and resolving the Iranian nuclear issue. The two leaders shared the view that free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is important and also shared expectations that stability in the Middle East could lead to oil price stability and global economic recovery.

The importance of trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan was also discussed. Deputy Director Oh stated, "The two leaders agreed on the importance of Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation based on the strong Korea-U.S. alliance." She added, "President Trump assessed President Lee as a 'strong leader' and expressed hope that the two leaders could work together to contribute to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region."

President Lee also shared an anecdote via his X account (formerly Twitter), where he received a signing pen as a gift from President Trump. President Lee said, "At today's final luncheon, President Trump gifted me the signing pen he had been using." Last year, during their first Korea-U.S. summit, President Lee had also given President Trump a signing pen he was using at that moment as a gift.

President Lee Jae-myung attended the invited countries' welcome event held at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit venue in Evian-les-Bains, France, on the 16th (local time), along with various world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump. 2026.6.16 Yonhap News Agency

He also recounted a scene that demonstrated the closeness between the two leaders. President Lee said, "At yesterday's dinner, while talking about golf, President Trump promised my wife and me that we would play golf together, and my wife made him pinky swear on it." He continued, "As we parted after today's luncheon, President Trump again insisted that we absolutely must play golf together. At first, I thought it was just a passing remark, but I think I should start getting ready."

President Lee embarked on his trip on June 9, visiting Belgium, the European Union (EU), Italy, the Vatican, and France over eight nights and ten days. A joint summit statement containing 36 provisions was adopted with the EU, and economic cooperation measures were discussed with Belgium and Italy. On the occasion of the G7 summit, bilateral talks were also held with Canada, Germany, and Kenya. Meanwhile, President Lee met with Pope Leo XIV, where they agreed on the need for reconciliation and cooperation between South and North Korea, and President Lee focused on presenting the Korean government’s peace initiative for the Korean Peninsula.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.