By Heejin Kim and Gabriel Stargardter
SEOUL, April 3 (Reuters) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to upgrade relations between the countries to a “global strategic partnership,” Korea’s Blue House said in a statement on Friday.
Macron arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a two-day state visit after also visiting Japan and is due to hold a summit with Lee in Seoul later on Friday.
It is the first state visit by a French president since 2015 and French officials have said the trip aims to strengthen France’s strategic and economic role in the region at a time of “strong international and regional tensions.”
French officials previously said the Middle East crisis would be “at the heart of discussions,” pointing to the shared economic exposure of both nations.
Like other Asian economies, South Korea relies heavily on energy imports, including through the Strait of Hormuz, the effective closure of which has driven up energy prices and rattled the global economy.
Paris is seeking Seoul’s support for a French-led maritime security initiative in the strait, whether multilaterally or bilaterally, according to the Elysee.
Macron said on Thursday after arriving in Seoul that it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S. President Donald Trump challenged U.S. allies to work towards reopening it.
LUNCH AND KPOP
The two leaders will have a lunch after their summit, accompanied by about 140 government officials and business executives from both countries. Felix, a member of the Kpop boy band Stray Kids who has been named an honorary ambassador to France, will also attend, Lee’s office said.
On Thursday, a banquet attended by the leaders and their wives was served by chef Son Jong-won, who was on Netflix’s popular “Culinary Class Wars”, the Blue House said. Signed CDs from top Kpop acts like BTS, Stray Kids and G-DRAGON were also prepared as gifts for France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron.
The French president is scheduled to deliver a speech at Yonsei University in Seoul after the summit, and attend a business forum alongside Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, according to the Blue House.
Macron is scheduled to meet the CEOs of Samsung , Naver and Hyundai Motor during the trip as he seeks to boost French exports to South Korea and attract Korean investment into France’s industrial and technology sectors, according to the Elysee.
In an interview with Le Figaro before the summit, Lee said ties with France must go beyond partnership and become a pursuit of strategic collaboration that includes artificial intelligence and nuclear energy which are key to innovation.
South Korean exports to France stood at $6.4 billion in 2025, while imports were worth $8.6 billion.
($1 = 1,505.8000 won)
(Reporting by Heejin Kim in Seoul and Gabriel Stargardter in Paris; Additional reporting by Jihoon Lee and Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies and Kim Coghill)
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