President seeks to secure European market access for Korean firms, discusses SME cooperation and Middle East situation

President Lee Jae-myung asks attendees at a dinner meeting with the Korean community in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday whether they want the event open to the public. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae-myung asks attendees at a dinner meeting with the Korean community in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday whether they want the event open to the public. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae-myung, in Europe to attend the Group of Seven summit, held back-to-back meetings with the Belgian prime minister and the president of the European Council on Wednesday, the second day of his overseas trip.

Lee met with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in the morning, then held a separate audience with King Philippe.

The meetings marked Lee's first encounters with Belgian leaders since taking office. The talks were expected to focus on laying the groundwork for expanded cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises of the two countries and securing stable market access in Europe for Korean firms.

In the afternoon, Lee held summit talks with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, followed by an agreement signing ceremony.

The EU is the world's largest trading bloc and South Korea's third-largest trading partner. The 27-member bloc, home to 450 million people, has a gross domestic product of roughly 18 trillion euros (about $20.8 trillion).

South Korea and the EU maintain a trade relationship worth approximately $130 billion, underpinned by a free trade agreement, with goods trade between the two sides hitting a record high last year. It was the first visit by a South Korean president to Brussels for summit talks with EU leaders in eight years.

Lee used the visit to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in the Middle East and issues related to peace on the Korean Peninsula, and to advance security cooperation with the EU.

Building on the Security and Defense Partnership the two sides adopted in 2024, Seoul plans to deepen intelligence sharing with the EU and strengthen cooperation on countering transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and terrorism.

The two sides also plan to explore ways to coordinate on energy, supply chain stability and critical minerals amid growing global uncertainty stemming from conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

After concluding his schedule in Belgium, Lee departed Wednesday evening for Rome, the second stop on his tour.

Before the summits, Lee met with members of the Korean community in Belgium and promised to show them "a better South Korea, different from what it has been until now."

At a gathering with Korean residents shortly after arriving Tuesday, Lee said the world's perception of South Korea had changed "dramatically in a short period of time." "Wasn't it just yesterday that we were a poor country struggling to survive on foreign aid — and then suddenly we pulled ahead economically, and now it feels like South Korea is at the center of global culture? It's truly a remarkable leap forward," he said.

He added that South Korea must go even further. "I believe in the potential of this country," he said.

Lee also said South Korea has a responsibility to actively support the Korean diaspora in achieving their goals. "There are things we can do through policy," he said, "but I believe the greatest support we can offer is elevating South Korea's standing in the world."


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