President Lee: "Democracy Threatened Globally... The People's Will Must Be Reflected in Politics"

Meeting with French National Assembly Speaker

"Parliament Plays a Very Important Role"

"In-Depth Cooperation between Both Assemblies Essential for Advancing Korea-France Relations"

On the 9th (local time), President Lee Jaemyung stated, "In a global environment where democracy is under threat, reflecting the will of the people in politics is at the core of democracy," adding, "In this process, parliament plays a very important role."

President Lee Jae-myung is meeting with Bruno Pevet, Speaker of the French National Assembly, at the Speaker's residence in Paris, France, on the 9th (local time). September 9, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

During his state visit to France, President Lee met with Yael Braun-Pivet, Speaker of the French National Assembly, and emphasized both the role of parliament in advancing democracy and the need to expand cooperation between the parliaments of Korea and France to elevate bilateral relations.

Speaker Braun-Pivet welcomed President Lee's visit to the French National Assembly and remarked, "It is highly significant as it demonstrates President Lee's special interest in the role of parliament, which represents democracy."

President Lee mentioned that the French Revolution spread the values of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty, and had an important influence on Korea's own journey toward an era of popular sovereignty. He also assessed that Korea and France have continued to achieve economic development and expand advanced industries based on the fundamental democratic values of liberty and equality.

President Lee stressed, "There is great potential for the two countries to further expand cooperation across various fields such as trade and investment, advanced technology, and social policy," and added, "For a new leap in bilateral relations, the role of parliament and groundbreaking as well as deep cooperation between our two parliaments are essential."

Speaker Braun-Pivet expressed interest in Korean policies for democratic development, and President Lee introduced Korea's institutional reform efforts aimed at incorporating public opinion into policy.

The two sides also discussed ways to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In particular, they agreed on the need to further vitalize exchanges and communication between the two parliaments in order to further advance the Korea-France relationship.

The Blue House evaluated this meeting as an opportunity to broaden the parliamentary dimension of bilateral cooperation, which has taken concrete form through two summits held this year, and to secure the interest and cooperation of the French parliament so that the achievements of summit diplomacy can translate into tangible cooperation felt by the people of both countries.

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