SEOUL, November 23 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung attended the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday, as part of a regional tour of the Middle East and Africa designed to broaden South Korea's diplomatic engagement.
During the two-day meeting, he outlined South Korea's views on climate and disaster response, artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation and inclusive economic growth.
After visiting the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Lee joined the annual gathering of the world's major economies. The G20 consists of 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union, representing about 85 percent of global GDP and 75 percent of global trade.
This year's summit was the first to be held on the African continent and unfolded under unusual circumstances, with the leaders of the United States, China and Russia all absent. On the opening day, member states adopted the leaders' declaration — normally approved at the end of the meetings — in an effort to avoid potential last-minute opposition from Washington. The statement also confirmed that South Korea will host the G20 summit in 2028.
Lee attended every official session, presenting South Korea's policy priorities and contributions to the international community. In the first session, he introduced Seoul's initiative — a domestic policy vision promoting the safe and inclusive use of artificial intelligence — and stressed that technological benefits must be shared widely.
On the second day, he highlighted the growing risks of climate change and natural disasters, calling for stronger international cooperation. Citing an assessment by the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, he warned that complex and overlapping disasters are becoming more frequent. "If we strengthen our resilience and ability to absorb shocks, new opportunities for growth will emerge," he said. Lee also reaffirmed South Korea's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and pledged to support global climate efforts "as a responsible member of the international community."
He urged countries to shift disaster-response systems toward prevention and resilience, pointing to South Korea's early flood-warning assistance programs for Asia-Pacific nations. "A single country's resilience leads to the resilience of the world," he said, emphasizing cooperation on global food security and the transition to clean energy.
Lee also held a series of bilateral and small-group meetings. He met leaders from MIKTA — a consultative group of middle-power countries including Mexico, Indonesia, Türkiye and Australia — to discuss closer cooperation. He also held separate talks with the French and German leaders.
On Sunday, the final day of the summit, Lee is expected to again underscore the need for global coordination on AI and digital transformation. He plans to highlight South Korea's vision for integrating AI into basic social systems, a concept the country promoted during its leadership of the APEC summit.
After wrapping up his schedule in South Africa, Lee will travel to Türkiye on Monday, the last stop of his four-nation tour. He is set to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for discussions on defense industry cooperation and nuclear energy.
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