South Korea's President Lee meets Chinese Premier, Japan PM at G20 summit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during last weekend's Group of 20 summit in South Africa, Lee's office said in a statement on Monday.

The Korean president told Li he was hoping for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in the near future, and that Li said he would deliver the message to Xi, according to the statement.

Lee said communication is important to build up mutual trust between the two countries, and that Li agreed with that, the statement said.

At the meeting with Japan's Takaichi, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral relations amid a precarious international order, Lee's office said.

During a speech on Sunday, Lee pledged to make the G20 gathering remain the most influential forum for international cooperation when South Korea hosts the event in 2028.