Lee wraps up European tour after G7

President Lee Jae Myung headed home Wednesday, wrapping up his first trip to Europe, which included attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

The presidential plane carrying Lee and his entourage took off from Geneva Airport, the main gateway for the G7 summit, en route to Seoul.

The trip, which began last Tuesday, earlier took the South Korean leader to Belgium and Italy, where he sought to enhance his country's relations with European nations and the European Union.

In Brussels, Lee held summit talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, followed by talks with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and António Luís Santos da Costa, president of the European Council.

In Italy, Lee held summit talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, agreeing to elevate bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership, and met with Pope Leo XIV to confirm the Vatican's support for his peace policy toward North Korea.

On the final leg of his trip in France, Lee attended the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains as the head of an invited country for the second consecutive year.

The trip was aimed largely at broadening South Korea's diplomatic landscape beyond Asia and forging partnerships with Europe in addressing major global challenges.

Yonhap