2010 G20 Seoul summit
2010 G20 Seoul Summit: The fifth G20 leaders’ meeting took place November 11–13, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. It was the first time a non-G8 country hosted a G20 summit. The main goal was to discuss the global financial system and world economy after the crisis, under the theme “Shared Growth Beyond Crisis.” Delegates prepared a closing statement in advance, and there were heated talks about currency exchange rates and global imbalances.
The summit was moved to the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center because of delays with new islands on the Han River that were to be used as the main venue. Security was tight, with police and military involved and safety drills held beforehand. Singapore was invited as a guest country; the Netherlands were not invited this time.
Leaders from the 19 G20 members plus the European Union attended. For the first time, four women led their countries at the summit: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina), Julia Gillard (Australia), Angela Merkel (Germany), and Dilma Rousseff (Brazil, president-elect). Australia’s Gillard attended her first G20 as prime minister.
In terms of results, there was no major breakthrough on currency wars or trade imbalances. The leaders agreed to work on indicative guidelines to limit large current account surpluses or deficits, to be developed in 2011. They also endorsed the Seoul Development Consensus, a plan to help poorer countries grow with a larger role for government in development and poverty reduction, reflecting a shift away from some ideas of the older Washington Consensus.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:24 (CET).