President Lee considering attending UK- and France-led virtual summit on Hormuz

Cheong Wa Dae announced on the 16th that it is "positively considering President Lee Jae-myung's participation" in a virtual summit on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which is to be led by the leaders of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) and France. The virtual summit is expected to be held on the evening of the 17th, Korea time. Around 70 to 80 parties, including international organizations, have been invited. Lee will also pay state visits to India and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from the 19th to the 24th, a six-day, five-night trip, to discuss ways to expand strategic cooperation. The business delegation formed to coincide with these state visits is expected to include the heads of the four major conglomerates—Samsung Group, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Group—as well as business figures such as Park Ji-won, chairman of Doosan Enerbility, with participation tailored to each country.
A senior official at Cheong Wa Dae told reporters that day, "A multilateral meeting jointly hosted by the leaders of the UK and France is scheduled, and we are positively considering President Lee's participation," adding, "Free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is in everyone's interest, so we are continuing efforts to build solidarity with countries that share similar positions." The official went on, "There is a possibility that President Lee will also deliver a message, and we are preparing for that," explaining, "It is expected to cover issues such as energy supply chains, our position on the situation in the Middle East, and the need for international cooperation to ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
Regarding the fact that the United States will not take part in the meeting, the official said, "It should not be interpreted as an attempt to exclude the United States," and noted, "Because the United States is a party to the war, it is not part of the current international coalition, but it is moving in coordination with others through consultations."
The upcoming virtual summit will be co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Previously, South Korea took part in a virtual meeting of the chiefs of defense from 35 countries around the world, held on March 26 under the chairmanship of the Chief of the Defence Staff of France, as well as in a virtual meeting of foreign ministers from more than 40 countries led by the UK on the 2nd. The new summit is seen as an extension of those efforts. On the possibility that a joint statement will be adopted at this virtual summit, the official added, "It is still uncertain whether there will be a joint statement," and said, "More working-level discussions will be needed in advance."
Meanwhile, President Lee will pay state visits to India and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from the 19th to the 24th. At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he will first visit New Delhi from the 19th to the 21st for a two-night, three-day stay. This will be the first state visit to India in eight years. On the 20th, Lee will hold a summit and luncheon with Prime Minister Modi, then attend a Korea–India business leaders' dialogue and the Korea–India Business Forum, followed by a state banquet hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu. He will then travel to Hanoi in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and continue his state visit there until the 24th. On the 22nd, he is scheduled to hold a summit and attend a state banquet with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party and president of Vietnam. On the 23rd, he will meet Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the country's second-ranking official, and hold a meeting and luncheon with National Assembly Chair Tran Thanh Man, who is third in the leadership hierarchy. In the afternoon, he will attend the Korea–Vietnam Business Forum to discuss ways to expand future-oriented economic cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade and investment, artificial intelligence (AI), science and technology, and energy transition.
Wi Sung-lac, National Security Advisor at Cheong Wa Dae, stated, "We expect that this tour, which will see the president visit two rapidly growing countries in succession, will broaden the horizons of our diplomacy and provide an opportunity to deepen strategic cooperation in several key areas."
cjk@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Jong-geun Reporter