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"We want to make South Korea the most important partner in the Asia-Pacific region."

According to the Presidential Office on the 22nd, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said this during the Korea-UK summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 20th, coinciding with the G7 summit held in Hiroshima, Japan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

During the G7 summit from the 19th to the 21st, President Yoon held bilateral meetings with a total of nine leaders, including Australia, Vietnam, India, the United Kingdom, Japan, Ukraine, Comoros, Indonesia, and a brief meeting with Italy, exceeding the initially scheduled six countries. According to the Presidential Office, the leaders of each country showed similar responses to Prime Minister Sunak regarding the development of bilateral relations and South Korea’s role as a Global Pivot State (GPS). A Presidential Office official stated, "Most of the countries attending the G7 summit requested bilateral meetings with South Korea, so the schedule was adjusted in real time."

President Yoon is evaluated to have received positive responses from the leaders of various countries during the expanded sessions of the G7 summit regarding South Korea’s specific expanded contributions to global food crisis countries and developing countries, directions for responding to the climate crisis, and policies for an international order based on freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. At the sessions on food, health, development, and gender, as well as climate, energy, and environment held on the 20th, President Yoon directly announced plans including the donation of 100,000 tons of rice to food crisis countries, expanded contributions to the ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), the establishment of a K-Rice Belt to transfer agricultural know-how, a $24 million contribution to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and participation in the G7-led "Climate Club."

At the expanded session on peace and security, rule of law, and global governance on the 21st, President Yoon solidified South Korea’s agenda supporting an international order based on freedom and the rule of law while seeking cooperation with G7 countries. In particular, President Yoon criticized violations of international norms and the rule of law, citing the invasion of Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

This is evaluated as a foothold for strengthening international influence, as President Yoon expanded the scope of contributions and cooperation worldwide just six months after announcing the "Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Strategy" contributing to economic security, economic and technological ecosystems, digital and health sectors at the G20 summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November last year, gaining the agreement of the G7 summit participating countries.

The first summit meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a surprise visit to the G7, is also interpreted as a meeting consistent with President Yoon’s diplomatic stance. In his opening remarks at the Korea-Ukraine summit on the same day, President Yoon stated, "The Republic of Korea values freedom, international solidarity, and an international order based on norms," expressing diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian support, solidarity, and support for Ukraine.

The Korea-US-Japan summit held on the same day emphasized not only strengthening deterrence against North Korea but also enhancing strategic cooperation to consolidate a free and open international order based on the rule of law. In particular, the leaders agreed to deepen concrete cooperation in various fields, including trilateral security cooperation such as real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning information, strengthening trilateral cooperation on the Indo-Pacific strategy, economic security, and engagement with Pacific island countries. US President Joe Biden’s proposal to invite President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Washington DC for a trilateral Korea-US-Japan summit is also interpreted in this context.

In the economic sector, although there were no outstanding quantifiable visible achievements, it is expected that concrete results will follow as South Korea agreed to actively consult with various countries in specific economic sectors. At the summit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the 19th, they agreed to stabilize trade in critical minerals and expand defense cooperation; at the Korea-UK summit with Prime Minister Sunak on the 20th, they agreed on nuclear power cooperation; and at the summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they agreed to strengthen defense cooperation. In particular, at the Korea-India summit, they agreed to enhance future industry cooperation in advanced technology fields such as defense cooperation including the K9 self-propelled howitzer (known as Vajra in India), digital, biohealth, and space. A Presidential Office official explained, "This G7 attendance focused on the future, so results will be shown in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.