South Korean President Lee Jae-myung departed for Canada on Monday to attend the Group of Seven summit, his first overseas engagement since taking office earlier this month.

Lee is easing tensions with North Korea by reversing his predecessor’s hardline approach. However, with Kim Jong-un uninterested in diplomacy and backed by Russia, prospects for peace remain slim.

Seoul and Washington are holding working-level tariff talks, crucial for South Korea's export-oriented economy.