Lee stresses inclusive growth in AI era, stable supply chains at G7 summit

With AI taking center stage in world leaders’ discussions at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France on Wednesday, President Lee Jae Myung stressed the importance of inclusive growth through technology and innovation.

Lee also stressed the need for systematic, longer-term measures to address the recent situation in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which have exposed vulnerabilities in the East Asian energy supply chain, during an expanded session of the G7 summit in the French spa town of Evian-les-Bains.

The South Korean president called to resolve the global challenge of unbalanced growth, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a statement, while attending the summit's second expanded session.

The session, attended by the leaders of the G7 nations and five invited partner countries, as well as the heads of the International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), discussed measures to alleviate global economic imbalances and promote sustainable economic growth for all.

Lee further introduced the Korean government's efforts to strengthen the resilience of critical mineral supply chains and emphasized its intention to join the international community's efforts to this end, Kang said.

Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya and South Korea were invited by France to take part in this year’s summit as partner countries.

The G7 summit took place after U.S. President Donald Trump declared an end to the war on Iran and announced a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and as Western countries pushed to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Later, Lee joined the global leaders and heads of major global AI and tech companies to discuss growth, resilience, cybersecurity, the protection of minors and the safeguarding of democracy during a working lunch.

The luncheon meeting was attended by CEOs of leading global AI companies, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis.

During this meeting, Lee introduced the South Korean government's policies to promote AI innovation, emphasizing the crucial role of private companies in fostering it, the Blue House said.

Lee also shared his administration’s vision to distribute the benefits of AI evenly, stressing that AI must not become a privilege for a few but rather “a tool for inclusive growth for everyone.”

To this end, he stressed that the government and companies share responsibility for ensuring safety in the digital space and need to cooperate to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities to prevent the misuse of AI.

Prior to the second expanded session Wednesday, Lee chatted with leaders of nations he has developed a rapport with over the past year in office, including a brief conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who visited his hometown of Andong in Gyeonggi last month.

Lee also took an empty seat next to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, sharing an intimate 20-minute conversation, sometimes spotted laughing. The two leaders, who share a bond as former child laborers, first met at the G7 summit in Canada one year ago and further developed a rapport through Lula’s state visit to Korea in February.

The G7 gathering provided an opportunity for Lee to hold bilateral summits with the leaders of participating countries, including Canada, Germany and Kenya and focus on sales diplomacy.

On Tuesday, Lee and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in their third bilateral talks, discussed defense industry cooperation, with Lee stressing that relations are advancing in a “mutually beneficial manner.”  

In late June, Canada is set to select a preferred bidder for its 60 billion Canadian dollar ($43 billion) submarine acquisition project, with a South Korean consortium comprised of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in a two-way race with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of stable energy supply channels, calling for cooperation in crude oil, liquefied natural gas and critical minerals.

In an X post Wednesday, Lee wrote that he is confident that South Korea, as a global leader in the defense industry with advanced industrial capabilities, “is the ideal partner to help strengthen Canada's defense capabilities and support its growth into an energy powerhouse.”

In his talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Lee stressed Tuesday there is great potential for cooperation in fields including economy, industry, science and technology and security and expressed his hope to advance bilateral cooperation to an even higher level.

Lee called to further expand strategic cooperation in future industries, including AI, energy and defense and strengthen coordination in addressing global challenges such as supply chain resilience and climate change.

Lee and Kenyan President William Ruto held their first bilateral talks on Wednesday and discussed economic and development cooperation, including in the areas of infrastructure, energy, transportation, water management and irrigation projects, the Blue House said.

They also agreed to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and investment, critical minerals, infrastructure, development cooperation, science and ICT.

Lee and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following up on their April bilateral summit in New Delhi, agreed to advance their countries' ties to a new level in talks Tuesday.

In a Facebook message Wednesday, Lee said his second consecutive G7 summit proved to be “a meaningful time during which I once again realized the elevated status and responsibilities of South Korea amidst the upheaval of the international order.”

He added that the agenda at the G7, ranging from resolving global imbalances, stabilizing supply chains and the AI great transformation, are “challenges that are difficult to resolve through the efforts of a single nation alone,” calling on countries to “pool our collective wisdom” to solve the challenges at hand “to advance toward a path of shared prosperity.”

He said that South Korea clearly expressed its commitment to creating solutions and responsibly fulfilling its necessary role.”

“As an exemplary case of growing from a recipient of aid to a provider, as a bridge between developed and emerging nations and as an innovative nation leading the AI era, we will contribute to solving common challenges by sharing Korea’s experiences and capabilities,” Lee added.

Lee wrapped up his 10-day trip to Europe, which also took him to Belgium and Italy, and was set to arrive in Seoul Thursday.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]