South Korea And France Agree To Deepen Defence Cooperation Amid Middle East Conflict

The Korea Herald

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron make a joint press appearance following their summit at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that they plan to strengthen defence cooperation and work closely to address the economic and energy crises triggered by the conflict in Iran.

President Macron arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a two-day state visit, following an earlier trip to Japan, and held summit talks in Seoul on Friday.

The visit marks the first state trip by a French president to South Korea since 2015. French officials said it is intended to reinforce France’s strategic and economic presence in the region amid heightened international and regional tensions.

"President Macron and I agreed to share policy-related experiences and strategies in order to jointly address the economic and energy crises triggered by the Middle East war," Lee said after the summit.

The leaders also ⁠confirmed their commitment to bolstering energy security including by collaborating to secure safe maritime transport routes through the Strait of Hormuz, he said.

Like many Asian economies, South Korea is heavily reliant on energy imports, much of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively disrupted traffic through the waterway in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes that began on 28 February, driving up energy prices and heightening fears of a global economic downturn.

President Macron said following Friday’s summit that the two countries, both major arms manufacturers, would seek to deepen their defence cooperation.

“We want to give this partnership a contemporary dimension,” President Macron said, pointing to plans for joint military exercises, enhanced collaboration in defence production, and closer cooperation in critical military capabilities.

“On both sides, we aim to strengthen our strategic depth in military production,” he added.

President Lee also said the two nations would expand cooperation in key security sectors, including aerospace and defence.

According to President Lee's office, South Korea and France are expected to sign a series of preliminary agreements covering cooperation in critical minerals, semiconductors, quantum technologies, nuclear energy, and wind power.

The two countries also aim to increase bilateral trade to 20 billion US dollars by 2030, up from 15 billion US dollars in 2025, President Lee Jsaid.

He highlighted a series of memoranda of understanding to be signed between South Korea’s state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and French companies Orano and Framatome. He said the agreements would help secure fuel supplies for Korean nuclear power plants and lay the foundation for joint entry into the global nuclear market.

The two leaders are also scheduled to attend a luncheon following their summit, accompanied by around 140 government officials and business executives from both countries.

Felix, a member of the K-pop group Stray Kids and an honourary ambassador to France, is also expected to attend, according to President Lee's office.

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.

President 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.

Source: Reuters



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