S. Korean President Lee attends G20 summit to discuss inclusive growth, climate change

Johannesburg: President Lee Jae Myung attended the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, where he was expected to pledge South Korea’s active role in addressing key global issues, including inclusive growth and climate change.

This year’s G20 runs through Sunday and brings together leaders of major economies — with the exception of U.S. President Donald Trump — under the theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”

Lee will participate in three sessions to outline South Korea’s vision to take on a more active role in addressing global challenges, highlighting initiatives on artificial intelligence, inclusive growth and economic policy, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said, reports Yonhap news agency.

During the first session on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, Lee plans to introduce South Korea’s fiscal policy initiatives and propose several measures, including reducing debt burdens on developing countries, restoring the multilateral trading system and enhancing the effectiveness of development cooperation, the presidential office said.

At the second session focused on global resilience, Lee will emphasize the importance of joint efforts to tackle the climate crisis, strengthen disaster-response capacity and address global food insecurity. He will also outline Seoul’s initiatives in climate change and its contribution to disaster relief in developing nations.

The G20 is a grouping of 19 advanced and developing economies as well as the European Union and the African Union. It represents 85 percent of global gross domestic product and around two-thirds of the world’s population.

On the sidelines of the summit, Lee will hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings.

He plans to meet with leaders from MIKTA — a group of five middle-power countries composed of South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia — to discuss ways to strengthen multilateral cooperation on global issues.

Lee is also scheduled to hold separate talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss bilateral relations.

On Sunday, he plans to attend the third session of the summit and meet with Korean residents in South Africa. Later, he will fly to Turkey on Monday, the final stop of his four-nation swing, which also included stops in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.