New Delhi, July 22 (newsalert24x7): South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to embark on a high-stakes, five-nation diplomatic mission on Friday, July 24. The whirlwind tour will take him to the United States, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Germany, combining high-level artificial intelligence (AI) technology summits with crucial trade expansion across South America.

According to presidential officials at Cheong Wa Dae, the 11-day itinerary is designed to secure strategic partnerships in next-generation technology while expanding South Korea's supply chain footprint in critical minerals, energy, and food security.

Phase 1: High-Tech AI Summit in San Francisco (US)

President Lee's first leg begins with a two-day stop in San Francisco, where he will meet directly with leaders of the world's most prominent AI and semiconductor pioneers.

  • Silicon Valley Heavyweights: President Lee will hold dedicated meetings with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan.
  • The AI Summit & Declaration: Lee will preside over a major AI summit uniting global tech heads alongside top South Korean conglomerate leaders—including Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Executive Chair Euisun Chung, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin.
  • Key Milestone: During the summit, President Lee will officially issue the "San Francisco AI Declaration," laying out South Korea’s vision for global ethical AI governance and mega-investment clusters for domestic semiconductor production.

Phase 2: South American Strategic Trade Expansion

From Sunday, July 26, through August 1, President Lee will execute a series of state visits across Latin America aimed at modernizing free trade agreements and securing key mineral supply chains:

  • Brazil (July 26–28): State visit featuring a bilateral summit with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília, followed by a joint business roundtable in São Paulo.
  • Chile (July 29–30): Official summit talks with President José Antonio Kast to modernize the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and deepen copper/lithium supply chain partnerships.
  • Argentina (July 31–Aug 1): Summit with President Javier Milei focused on expanding trade, critical mineral investments, and energy sector cooperation.
"Through these summits, Seoul is seeking fresh momentum for the South Korea–Mercosur trade agreement while modernizing existing pacts to tap into South America's abundant reserves of critical minerals and agricultural assets," stated National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac.

Final Leg: European stopover

President Lee will conclude his international tour in Frankfurt, Germany, holding an interactive town hall with members of the South Korean diaspora before returning to Seoul on August 3.

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