President Lee Jae-myung will attend the G7 summit in France as an invited guest at the close of a 10-day European tour, the presidential office said, following visits to Belgium, the EU, Italy and the Holy See in turn.

The tour is seen as a chance for Korea to firm up its diplomatic standing on the European and multilateral stage and to seek cooperation with major countries on trade, technology and security.

Attending the G7 by invitation is a symbol of Korea's economic and diplomatic stature. But because invited guests, unlike full members, have limited say over the agenda, the key is how to extract substantive results.

With the Middle East and the war in Ukraine at the center of the international agenda, energy and supply-chain stability and peace diplomacy are likely to be major topics.

Sinophone Bridge Times judges summit diplomacy by agenda and follow-through, not a single photo. More than a handshake in the hall, what is implemented afterward is diplomacy's real report card.