South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will begin his longest overseas trip since taking office on July 24, traveling to the United States and three Latin American countries to strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation, expand trade ties and secure critical supply-chain partnerships.
The 7-night, 11-day tour will begin in San Francisco, where Lee is scheduled to meet with executives from leading global artificial intelligence companies, including Nvidia, OpenAI, Broadcom and Anthropic.
The highlight of the U.S. leg will be an AI summit featuring eight of the most prominent technology leaders from South Korea and the United States. The gathering will include Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin, alongside four major U.S. AI industry executives.
The meeting represents an unusual gathering of leading AI figures from both countries and is expected to serve as a platform for announcing new business agreements and strategic partnerships between Korean and U.S. companies.
South Korean officials said the summit will underscore Seoul’s ambition to strengthen its role in the global AI ecosystem and expand cooperation with major technology companies.
“President Lee will highlight South Korea’s position in the global AI ecosystem and demonstrate the country’s commitment to working with leading global technology firms,” Kim Yong-beom, senior presidential policy secretary, said in a briefing on July 22.
Following the U.S. visit, Lee will travel from July 26 to Brazil, Chile and Argentina for meetings with the leaders of the three countries. The visit to Argentina will mark the first official trip by a South Korean president to the country in 22 years.
Trade, investment and supply-chain cooperation will be key priorities during the Latin American tour. Brazil, Chile and Argentina together represent a market of about 280 million people and a combined gross domestic product of approximately $3.7 trillion.
Lee’s meetings with Brazilian and Argentine leaders are expected to include discussions on restarting negotiations for a trade agreement with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc. Talks with Chile will focus on upgrading the South Korea-Chile free trade agreement.
Critical minerals and resource security will also be major topics. Brazil is the world’s second-largest holder of rare-earth reserves and a leading exporter of coffee, sugar and poultry. Chile has the world’s largest reserves of copper and lithium, while Argentina has the world’s second-largest shale gas reserves and ranks as the world’s largest exporter of soybean oil.
South Korea’s National Security Office said the three Latin American countries are important partners in diversifying supply chains and reducing exposure to geopolitical risks.
“South Korea will strengthen strategic partnerships in critical mineral supply chains and deepen cooperation to diversify food and energy imports,” National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a briefing.
The trip highlights Seoul’s push to build broader partnerships in artificial intelligence, advanced technology and natural resources as global competition over strategic industries and supply-chain security intensifies.
