President Lee concludes European trip, returns to Seoul

In Brussels, Lee engaged in summit talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. He subsequently met with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, president of the European Council.

During his visit to Italy, Lee held summit discussions with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, resulting in an agreement to elevate bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership. Additionally, Lee met with Pope Leo XIV, securing confirmation of the Vatican's support for his peace initiatives toward North Korea.

On the final leg of his European tour in France, President Lee participated in the G7 summit as the representative of an invited country for the second consecutive year. The overarching objective of this trip was to broaden South Korea's diplomatic engagement beyond its traditional Asian focus and to establish collaborations with European partners on addressing critical global challenges.