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Lee concludes G20 diplomacy in South Africa, heads to Turkey

Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 09:47

President Lee Jae Myung, center, poses for a photo in the front row with leaders of the Group of 20 and international organizations held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 22. [YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday wrapped up his three-day visit to South Africa for the Group of 20 (G20) summit and departed for Turkey, the final stop in his four-nation swing to the Middle East and Africa.

His participation in the G20 meeting marked the final leg of his multilateral diplomacy this year, following his attendance at the Group of 7 summit in Canada, the United Nations General Assembly in New York and Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Lee arrived in Johannesburg on Friday after visits to the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and took part in all three G20 sessions over the weekend.

During the meetings, he called for revitalizing the World Trade Organization's multilateral trading system, strengthening joint efforts to address climate change and ensuring more equitable access to artificial intelligence technologies.

With Korea set to assume the rotating presidency of the G20 in 2028, Lee vowed to host the summit with "a sense of responsibility" to strengthen its role in promoting global economic cooperation.

On the sidelines, Lee held a series of bilateral and multilateral talks, including meetings with leaders of France, Germany, India and Brazil.

He also joined a session of Mikta — a middle-power grouping comprising Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia.

The G20 summit effectively capped Lee's multilateral diplomatic schedule for the year.

Korea, China and Japan reportedly had consultations to arrange their first trilateral summit since May 2024, but the timing remains uncertain amid a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks on Taiwan.

Yonhap