President Lee Receives France's Highest Honor... Tells Macron, "We Have Truly Become 'Copains'"

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung Also Receives National Order of Merit Grand Cross
France’s Highest Level of Honor Accorded
Business Leaders Including Lee Jae-yong and Cultural Figures Like Hwasa Attend
Cheongja Gayageum and Works by Han Kang Prese

President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to France, received France’s highest order of merit, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, from French President Emmanuel Macron on the 8th (local time). First Lady Hye-kyung Kim was also awarded the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit. Marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, the ceremony underscored the highest level of respect and trust between the two heads of state. President Lee further demonstrated his closeness by referring to President Macron as “copain,” meaning “a friend with whom one shares bread.”

President Lee Jae-myung is greeting President Emmanuel Macron at a state banquet held at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on the 8th (local time). 2026.9.9 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap

Kang Yu-jeong, Blue House Chief Spokesperson, announced in a written briefing that prior to the state banquet, President Macron presented the decorations to President Lee and the First Lady. According to the Blue House, this reflects a deep appreciation of their contributions to the advancement of Korea-France relations and signifies the utmost respect for the Korean head of state and the First Lady.

The state banquet hosted by President Macron included high-level government officials from both countries, as well as 17 leading figures from Korea’s business and cultural sectors. From the business sector, attendees included Ryu Jin, Chairman of the Korea Enterprises Federation; Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Koo Ja-eun, Chairman of LS Group; Cho Hyun-joon, Chairman of Hyosung Group; Ryu Jae-cheol, President of LG Electronics; Sung Kim, President of Hyundai Motor Company; and Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver. Earlier in the day, these executives also participated in the Korea-France business roundtable, where they discussed ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation.

From the cultural sector, participants included Kang Dae-hyun, Co-CEO of Nexon Korea; Park Jun-seo, CEO of SLL; Park Kwang-soo, Chairman of the Busan International Film Festival; Han Sang-jun, Chairman of the Korean Film Council; Kim Yun-ji, President of the Korea Creative Content Agency; and singer Hwasa. At the end of the banquet, Hwasa gave a solo performance, introducing K-pop to the leaders and attendees from both countries. This highlighted cultural and content cooperation as a key pillar of summit diplomacy, following the ‘Lumiere Summit’ jointly hosted by the two presidents in Saint-Paul-de-Vence the previous day.

In his banquet address, President Lee recalled his emotional meeting earlier that morning at the Arc de Triomphe with French veterans who fought in the Battle of Jipyong-ri, saying he was “overcome with tears.” He emphasized that the friendship and solidarity accumulated over 140 years of diplomatic relations should serve as the basis for broadening future cooperation across nuclear energy, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, quantum technologies, and critical minerals, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

President Lee especially remarked that, through this visit, he and President Macron had become true “copains”—friends who share bread. With two reciprocal state visits occurring within just five months—following President Macron’s visit to Korea in April—President Lee suggested that such personal trust between leaders would become a driving force in the bilateral relationship.

President Jae-myung Lee and First Lady Hye-kyung Kim, visiting France on a state visit, received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor from President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on the 8th (local time). 2026.9.9 Yonhap News Agency

President Lee presented President Macron with a celadon Gayageum and Korean and French editions of Han Kang’s books, including I Do Not Say Goodbye, Human Acts, and The Vegetarian. This gesture reflects the occasion in April when President Macron attended a Korean traditional string instrument performance in Seoul and referenced the word “geumsil” (golden string) from Han Kang’s Nobel Literature Prize acceptance speech as a symbol of ties between the two countries.

For Brigitte Macron, First Lady of France, President Lee gifted a complete collection of Ravel’s piano works performed by pianist Cho Seong-jin and a lacquered clutch bag made of hemp and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. This was a reciprocal gesture for the state visit to Seoul in April, when Mrs. Macron presented the first edition of French composer Maurice Ravel’s score for “Le Tombeau de Couperin.”

Cheongja Gayageum (Photo by the Blue House)

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