French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung after the latter’s arrival at the presidential palace in Paris on Sept. 8, 2026. (pool photo)
President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that Korea and France would “keep working together closely to swiftly restore the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and stability in global supply chains.”Lee, who is currently in France on a state visit, made the remarks during a joint press briefing after his summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris.“In an April meeting on the Strait of Hormuz led by France and the UK, I expressed Korea’s willingness to contribute to stability and freedom of navigation in the strait,” Lee said.Regarding a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Blue House official said on Sept. 4 that the government was “reviewing multiple options in light of the need to maintain military readiness on the Korean Peninsula” and believed it had “room to act as long as that readiness was not significantly compromised.”But the official stressed that the matter remained under review and that no decision had been made.Korea and France also agreed to further strengthen economic and industrial cooperation with the goal of increasing bilateral trade to US$20 billion by 2030.“A business roundtable involving about 20 companies from our two countries will be held during my visit to explore new opportunities for cooperation and investment in advanced technologies and future industries. We will remain in close communication with France to help companies operate in a stable and predictable environment and create more opportunities in each other’s markets,” he said.The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space technology, nuclear energy and biotechnology.Cooperation on nuclear energy is a matter of particular interest for the two countries.“We signed additional documents on cooperation in nuclear R&D and fuel supply, agreeing to boost cooperation on next-generation reactor development and the medium- and long-term diversification of supply chains, building on the full-cycle nuclear cooperation to which France and Korea agreed in April,” Lee said.“President Macron and I also agreed to establish a high-level dialogue channel for civilian nuclear power cooperation based on our April agreement.”The two leaders also exchanged views on international issues.“Our two countries will work with the international community to restore peace in Ukraine and support its reconstruction. President Macron has reaffirmed his unwavering support for Seoul’s policy on the Korean Peninsula, as well as his commitment to cooperation,” Lee said.“With the security of Northeast Asia and Europe more closely interconnected than ever, our two countries will continue to work closely for peace and stability both on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the international community,” Lee said.In addition, Lee and Macron signed two agreements and six memorandums of understanding at their summit, including an amended protocol to an agreement on the protection of military secrets and an MOU on industrial cooperation and competitiveness.The two leaders also agreed to swiftly conclude a mutual logistics support agreement that would allow Korea and France to provide priority support in supplies and services in peacetime and wartime and settle payments afterward. The agreement is expected to set out eligible items, request protocols, and pricing and settlement methods.By Seo Young-ji, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
