Seoul – President Lee Jae Myung left the capital early Monday for a trip that will test Korea’s growing reach in the Global South. His four‑nation swing will start with a three‑day state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and run through Egypt, a summit in Johannesburg, and a final visit to Turkey.
In Abu Dhabi, Lee will meet U.S.A.-style leader Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss joint projects in defense, artificial intelligence and other high‑tech fields. The talks come as Seoul pushes for deeper military and economic ties in the Middle East.
Next, Lee will head to Cairo. Across three days he’ll meet President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi, give a key speech at Cairo University and outline Seoul’s plans to boost cooperation with African nations.
The climax of the tour is the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday and Sunday. Lee will press for South Korea’s role in “inclusive, sustainable growth” and will tackle climate‑change targets with other world leaders. He will also use the event’s sidelines to meet heads of MIKTA – the club for middle‑power nations that includes Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia.
The trip ends in Ankara, where he will talk with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about bilateral cooperation. Lee will return home on November 26.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung‑lac said Lee’s first trip to the Middle East and Africa underscores his pragmatic diplomacy and should produce real progress in defense and AI projects. His tour, following recent G7 and APEC summits, marks the final major event of this year’s multilateral outreach.
Keywords: South Korea President, Lee Jae Myung, G20 summit, Johannesburg, UAE Abu Dhabi, Middle East, Egypt Cairo, Turkey Ankara, Global South, defense industry, artificial intelligence, climate change, inclusive growth, MIKTA.
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