SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met for the first time on Jun. 17 (local time) in Kananaskis, Canada, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit. What could have been a routine diplomatic meeting carried an unexpected weight, shaped by the strikingly similar lives the two men have led.
Both were invited to the summit as guest leaders. Their discussion covered bilateral cooperation, but it was their shared past, rooted in poverty, labor, injury, and political survival, that gave the meeting an uncommon sense of depth.
During their conversation, President Lee spoke about working in a factory as an underage boy, where a press machine crushed his left arm and left it permanently damaged. Lula, who lost his left pinky finger in a factory accident at age 19, leaned in and asked, "How old were you when that happened?" The question landed with empathy -- one laborer to another.
Lee’s life story is well known in South Korea. Born in 1964 in the southeastern city of Andong, he grew up in poverty and started working young. After his family moved to Seongnam, his mother sold toilet paper in a market while Lee worked in factories, where exposure to toxic chemicals cost him his sense of smell. In his memoir, he called his childhood "horrific," recalling how his family often survived on fruit discarded by vendors.
Lula’s background has similar contours. He, too, came from a poor family, took up factory work early, and became active in Brazil’s labor movement after his accident. Both men were prosecuted. Lula served time in prison before his conviction was annulled, while Lee faced multiple investigations and legal battles before and after taking office. In early 2024, Lee survived a knife attack during a site visit in Busan.
Their personal hardships and the political resilience that followed gave the meeting a human dimension that rarely accompanies first summits.
It may also mark the beginning of a new phase in South Korea–Brazil relations. Despite strong ties, the two countries have never signed a free trade agreement. The shared understanding between the two leaders could open the door to future trade dialogue and deeper cooperation.
Lula used the meeting to extend a formal invitation to President Lee to attend the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), which Brazil will host. Lee thanked him, calling climate issues "very important," and said he would try to attend if possible.
As they wrapped up, Lula offered a final piece of advice: "You must not forget why the people chose you."
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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