President Yoon Suk Yeol has been invited by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to attend in May the summit of the Group of 7 major economies in Hiroshima, Japan. Shown is the president on March 17 giving a lecture on the future generations of both nations at Keio University in Tokyo. (Office of the President)

By Yun Dahee

President Yoon Suk Yeol has received an invitation from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to attend in May the summit of the Group of 7 (G7) major economies in Hiroshima, Japan. 

Presidential spokesperson Lee Do Woon on March 20 said in a news release that the invitation is considered "a positive measure following the result of the Korea-Japan summit." 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a news release also said, "We welcome the Japanese government's invitation to our nation to this year's G7 summit," adding, "The invitation to the G7 summit is positively evaluated as a follow-up measure to our president's visit to Japan." 

"Our participation in the G7 summit is expected to be an opportunity to actively take part in efforts to overcome unprecedented complex crises and deepen solidarity and cooperation with G7 member countries that share universal values."

During his visit to New Delhi, India, Prime Minister Kishida on March 20 told reporters of his willingness to invite President Yoon to the summit, Japan's Kyodo News and major newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported. 

Slated for May 19-21, the summit invited the leaders of Korea, Australia, Vietnam, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Morocco and the Cook Islands, along with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

Korea, Australia and Vietnam were invited as individual states while others received invitations in their capacity as chair countries of major regional organizations or multilateral global conferences.

On March 16, President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida in Tokyo held summit talks on improving bilateral relations in a larger number of fields including national security, diplomacy and economy. 

daheeyun@korea.kr