South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will participate in a leader-level virtual summit this week focused on securing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically vital waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The meeting, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is scheduled for late Friday Seoul time and will bring together governments aligned on the need to protect a shipping route critical to global energy flows.
Seoul confirmed its attendance through a senior presidential official, who said Lee is preparing remarks covering energy supply chain security, South Korea's position on the broader Middle East situation, and the importance of international solidarity in keeping the strait open. "As the freedom and security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz serve the interests of all parties and are vital to our national interests, we are continuing efforts to work in solidarity with countries that share similar positions," the official told reporters.
The summit is the third in a series of coordinated multilateral consultations on the issue. South Korea also attended a France-led video conference of senior military officials on 26 March and a Britain-led ministerial meeting on 2 April, indicating a sustained and escalating diplomatic effort to build a coalition around maritime security in the region. The United States is not expected to take part in Friday's talks, while the participation of China and Japan has not yet been confirmed.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important chokepoints for oil and gas shipments, with a significant share of global energy exports passing through it daily. Tensions in and around the waterway have periodically threatened commercial shipping, making it a recurring focus of international security diplomacy.
South Korea's engagement underscores how heavily the country's export-driven economy depends on stable energy supply lines from the Middle East. By participating in these talks alongside European powers, Seoul is signalling both its stake in regional stability and its readiness to coordinate with partners beyond its immediate neighbourhood on issues of global economic security.