President Lee speaks to Le Monde during state visit to France

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung walk to a protocol vehicle after arriving at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in France on Sunday (local time) for a state visit. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung walk to a protocol vehicle after arriving at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in France on Sunday (local time) for a state visit. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung, on a state visit to France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, said Monday (local time) in a written interview with the French daily Le Monde that he sees cooperation on AI and other future industries as a key pillar of the Korea-France relationship. He added that the two countries "can together lead the way toward a new culture where technological advancement and human creativity are in harmony."

Asked about Macron's proposal for a "coalition of independent nations" that keeps its distance from major powers such as the United States and China, Lee said close cooperation among countries that share common values — democracy, human rights and the rule of law — is essential. He said the kind of solidarity South Korea seeks is "practical and open cooperation in which capable nations complement and advance the existing international order through sector-by-sector collaboration." He added that Seoul is simultaneously pursuing self-reliance in defense and working to deepen its existing alliances to meet the demands of the times.

Lee said he understands President Donald Trump's position as a call to move beyond the traditional view of alliances and reflect the demands of a changing era. "Accordingly, the South Korean government is increasing its defense budget and continuously expanding key military capabilities, thereby raising South Korea's role and burden within the Korea-US alliance," he said.

He went on to say that the Korea-US alliance is evolving into a "future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance" through cooperation in shipbuilding and the strengthening of the global AI ecosystem.

On relations with North Korea, Lee said that while resolving deep-seated mistrust in a short period of time would be difficult, his government would steadily pursue dialogue and cooperation aimed at peaceful coexistence.

"I do not think the wall of mistrust built over many years will crumble quickly with just a few knocks," he said, while still laying out a vision for "peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

Lee outlined three principles for that coexistence: "inclusive peaceful coexistence" grounded in mutual respect, "stable peaceful coexistence" that removes the need for confrontation, and "responsible peaceful coexistence" that contributes to world peace.

He made clear his intention to serve as a "pacemaker" in facilitating the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, saying that through this process "effective measures to curb North Korea's nuclear capabilities can also be discussed."

Lee also said constitutional reform is needed to prevent a recurrence of the political crisis triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to declare emergency martial law in December 2024.

"We will ensure that the democracy won through countless sacrifices is never threatened again," he said. "Constitutional revision is necessary to strengthen presidential accountability and better distribute power."

He went on to mention tightening the conditions for declaring emergency martial law and enshrining the spirit of the May 18 pro-democracy movement in the preamble of the constitution.

Lee also said judicial reform is needed to prevent the monopolization and abuse of power, and that military reform should be pursued to prepare for modern and future forms of war without threatening the constitutional order.

Lee arrived in France on Sunday to attend the Lumière Summit, an international summit on film and visual content.

The summit is being held Monday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a small town near Nice in southern France, with Lee and Macron serving as co-chairs.

Through the event, Lee plans to boost cultural exchanges with France and other European nations and create momentum for expanding the global reach of Korean content.


sang@heraldcorp.com