President Lee Arrives in Paris... Summit with Macron on the 8th to Discuss a 'New 140 Years' of Korea-France Cooperation

Expanding Cooperation in Advanced Industries Including AI, Space, and Nuclear Energy Beyond Security and the Economy
Focus on Whether Concrete Action Will Be Taken on Cooperation Such as Hormuz Deployment
Business Roundtable and Meeting with OECD Se

President Lee Jaemyung, who is on a state visit to France, arrived in Paris on the 7th (local time) after completing his schedule in Saint-Paul-de-Vence near Nice. On the 8th, President Lee will hold a summit meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation from security and the economy to cutting-edge industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), space, and nuclear energy.

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are seen disembarking from Air Force One at Orly Airport in Paris, France, and moving to the official vehicle on the 7th (local time). 2026.9.8 Yonhap News Agency
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The focus of this summit is expected to be on translating the "global strategic partnership" - which was elevated during President Macron's state visit to Korea in April - into tangible cooperation. This year marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, making it significant for setting the future direction of relations between the two countries.

On the day of the summit, President Lee will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and attend an official welcoming ceremony hosted by the French side. Following this, he will have a private luncheon with President Macron at the Élysée Palace, followed by an extended summit meeting attended by both delegations.

The summit agenda is expected to include major topics such as strategic communication in response to rapidly changing global affairs, expanding cooperation in economic, trade, and supply chain sectors, as well as advanced technology fields such as AI, space, nuclear energy, and bio. Another major goal of this state visit is to strengthen cooperation on security and economic issues with France, which is a core member of the European Union (EU) and a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

The stabilization of the Strait of Hormuz amid recent developments in the Middle East is another topic of interest. France has been an active participant in international cooperation for the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and has continued related consultations with Korea. However, the Office of the President did not disclose in what specific manner the Hormuz issue would be discussed at the summit.

An official from the Office of the President stated, "Stabilization of Hormuz is a critical issue in terms of oil import stability and securing national and public safety," adding, "President Lee has given this a lot of thought." The official also noted that it is currently difficult to specify whether this will be discussed as an agenda item at the summit.

Economic cooperation is also a major issue in summit diplomacy. Both countries are strengthening their cooperation framework on industry, trade, and supply chains, such as by launching a ministerial-level "Strategic Industry Dialogue" on the occasion of President Lee's state visit. After the summit, a business roundtable involving major companies from Korea and France is also scheduled.

The Office of the President aims to put into practice the global strategic partnership agreed upon in April, broadening the scope of cooperation beyond security and the economy to include future industries, culture, and people-to-people exchange. After the summit, President Lee will attend the "Korea-France Business Roundtable," which will involve about 20 companies from both countries, as well as a state banquet hosted by President Macron and his spouse.

On the 9th, President Lee will meet Bruno Fievet, Speaker of the French National Assembly, hold a luncheon with Korean residents, and meet Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Earlier, on the 7th, President Lee and President Macron co-chaired the "Lumiere Summit," an international summit on film and visual media, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France. Both countries announced a plan to each invest 500 million euros (approximately 800 billion won) in the film and visual media industry from 2027 to 2031.

President Lee also met successively with Korean filmmakers and global content industry representatives to discuss supporting the creative ecosystem and expanding the overseas reach of K-content. By expanding the foundation for cultural and content cooperation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, President Lee plans to focus on raising the level of collaboration in security, the economy, and cutting-edge industries in Paris, across all aspects of bilateral relations.

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