S. Korea's top diplomat to attend G-7 ministerial talks in Britain this weekend

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will visit Britain this weekend to attend a meeting of foreign and development ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized countries, his ministry said Wednesday.

The two-day session to open in Liverpool on Saturday is meant for discussions on a range of global issues, including ways for fair access to COVID-19 vaccines and cooperation on global supply chains as well as economy and security in the Indo-Pacific region and gender equality, according to the ministry.

Although South Korea is not a member of the G-7, it has been invited as a guest along with Australia, India, South Africa and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Britain holds the rotating presidency of the G-7 sessions this year.

He plans to have bilateral talks with some of his counterparts from other major countries on the sidelines of the gathering.

Drawing keen attention is whether he will meet bilaterally with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who took office last month, amid protracted stand-offs between the neighboring nations over shared history, especially Japan's brutal colonization of Korea from 1910-45. (Yonhap)