South Korea's Lee to hold state visit, summit with Macron

President Lee Jae Myung will travel to France next week for a state visit and summit talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. The visit, scheduled from Sunday to Wednesday, comes at Macron's invitation following his trip to South Korea in April and marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, according to National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac.

Lee's itinerary includes two key segments. He will first attend the Lumiere Summit on the future of cinema in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where he will serve as co-chair with Macron on Monday. The president will then make a two-day state visit to Paris starting Tuesday for the core bilateral discussions.

Summit Schedule and Engagements

The presidential summit in Paris will involve a series of high-level meetings. Lee and Macron are scheduled for a one-on-one luncheon on Tuesday, followed by formal summit talks. A dinner banquet hosted by Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, will be held at the Elysee Palace later that day.

Beyond the summit, Lee's schedule in the French capital includes a business roundtable with approximately 20 companies from both countries. He is also set to meet separately with Yael Braun-Pivet, the speaker of the French National Assembly, and Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Objectives for Bilateral Cooperation

National Security Adviser Wi stated the visit is expected to generate tangible cooperation across multiple fields. He identified security, the economy, science and technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges as key areas. The trip aims to further develop the "global strategic partnership" between South Korea and France.

Wi specifically highlighted plans to expand collaboration in advanced technology sectors. "(South Korea) will also expand cooperation with France in artificial intelligence, space, nuclear energy, biology and other advanced technologies to solidly lay the foundation for the sustainable development of bilateral ties," he said. He described France as a leader in future industries.

Broader Strategic Context

The visit is framed within efforts to respond to a rapidly changing international order. Wi expressed hope that the trip would serve as a new starting point, laying a solid foundation for the next 140 years of relations between the two countries.

A presidential official later added that the summit agenda may extend to discussions on cooperation in nuclear power plants and potential troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. The official provided no further details on these potential topics. The source for all information is a briefing by South Korean presidential officials, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.