President Lee Accepts Macron's G7 Invitation... Will Join Discussions on Macroeconomic Imbalances

Korea and France Hold Summit at the Blue House on April 3

Lee: "Seeking Joint Measures for Crisis Response"

On April 3, President Lee Jae-myung received and accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit.

During the extended summit with President Macron held at the Blue House on the same day, President Lee stated, "President Macron has officially invited me to this year's G7 summit hosted by France," adding, "I am grateful for your invitation and gladly accept it."

President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron are shaking hands ahead of the extended summit at the Blue House on April 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee emphasized, "South Korea will actively participate in discussions at the G7 summit aimed at resolving global macroeconomic imbalances and exploring ways to reform international partnerships. Through this, we will diagnose the structural issues constraining the shared prosperity of the international community and work together to devise potential solutions for the joint growth of developed and developing countries."

He continued, "I look forward to further advancing future-oriented cooperation between our two countries, building on our shared values of innovation and creativity."

President Lee also expressed concern, "The recent Middle East war is shaking the international order. Civilian casualties are increasing, and the impact on the global economy and energy sector is also rapidly expanding."

President Lee added, "I hope that through today's discussions, we will be able to pool our wisdom to restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible and stabilize the global energy supply chain, as well as seek joint measures to respond to these crises. Furthermore, I hope that the two countries will continue their close cooperation regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula."

President Lee stated, "President Macron's visit marks a new milestone for shaping the future vision of our bilateral relationship, built upon 140 years of trust and friendship between our two countries. In particular, as our relationship has been elevated to a global strategic partnership, this visit will remain an even more significant milestone."

Meanwhile, the extended summit began about 40 minutes later than originally scheduled. Regarding this, President Lee explained, "South Korea and France have developed remarkable cooperation in trade and investment, and are now expanding the horizons of collaboration in future strategic industries such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space, nuclear energy, and defense. As responsible members of the international community, both countries are also working together to respond to various global issues arising in the rapidly changing international environment. In fact, the delay in today's small-group summit was due to the length of our discussions on these matters."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.