President Lee moves from Nice to Paris on Monday

Summit to cover AI, space, nuclear energy and biotech cooperation

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung disembark from Air Force One at Paris Orly Airport on Monday (local time) and walk to their official vehicles. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung disembark from Air Force One at Paris Orly Airport on Monday (local time) and walk to their official vehicles. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (local time) during his state visit to France. The two leaders are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in advanced technology sectors including AI, space, nuclear energy and biotech. Attention is also focused on whether security cooperation — including a possible deployment to the Strait of Hormuz — will feature on the agenda.

Lee wrapped up his schedule at the "Lumière Summit" in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on Monday before traveling to Paris. Arriving late Monday evening, Lee rested overnight and will head to the Élysée Palace on Tuesday afternoon for a private luncheon with Macron, followed by the formal summit.

The summit coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France, and is expected to serve as an opportunity to build a new foundation for cooperation based on the trust and friendship the two countries have built over the years.

Through substantive cooperation spanning security, economic and people-to-people exchanges, Seoul aims to deepen the "Global Strategic Partnership" with France elevated in April, while adding fresh momentum to its broader diplomatic outreach toward Europe.

Expanding cooperation in advanced technology is also a key agenda item. Cheong Wa Dae said it plans to broaden collaboration with France — a leader in future industries — across AI, space, nuclear energy and biotech, and to strengthen youth and science-and-technology exchanges, laying a more solid foundation for sustainable growth in the bilateral relationship.

There is also speculation that Lee may discuss the Strait of Hormuz deployment with Macron. Lee finds himself caught between the United States, which has been pressing actively for a deployment, and Iran, which has warned that South Korea must not "take part in aggression."

Earlier, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said it would be difficult to rule out the Strait of Hormuz issue coming up at the summit. "France has been the most active country in pushing for an international coalition to ensure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and it has been consulting with us on that," the official said.

A separate official, briefing reporters at a press center in central Paris, said stabilizing the Strait of Hormuz was "an important matter in terms of securing stable oil imports and ensuring the safety of our people and our country." The official added that Lee "has been giving the issue a great deal of thought."


sang@heraldcorp.com