President Lee Jae-myung said South Korea and France would cooperate to secure safe shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz after holding a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.
The two countries agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship to a "Global Strategic Partnership," expanding cooperation beyond economic and cultural ties into the security domain. The upgrade comes 22 years after the two nations established a "21st Century Comprehensive Partnership."
"The repercussions of the Middle East war are shaking the international order," Lee said at the summit held at Cheong Wa Dae. "The impact is spreading to the global economy and energy sector."
Macron responded that the two countries could "strengthen cooperation in the defense sector and contribute to stabilizing the Middle East situation." He added, "Bombings and violence, including in the Hormuz region, must be calmed."
The two sides revised three agreements and signed 11 memorandums of understanding centered on strategic industry cooperation in nuclear supply chains, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence.
"We will strengthen energy security by expanding cooperation in nuclear power and offshore wind," Lee said. "We will increase bilateral trade from $15 billion last year to $20 billion by 2030."
Lee stressed that cooperation between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and France's Orano and Framatome would "stabilize nuclear fuel supply and build a foundation for joint entry into the global nuclear market."
Macron said cooperation spans "space, defense industries, as well as AI, quantum, and semiconductors," adding that he hoped to "expand cooperation to agri-food, culture, and climate."
Macron also invited Lee to the Group of Seven summit to be held in France in June and proposed co-hosting an international film and audiovisual industry summit in September. Lee said he "gratefully accepts."
France to Supply Nuclear Fuel, Korea to Handle Construction — Jeonnam Offshore Wind to Be Jointly Developed
The energy security crisis triggered by the Middle East war has prompted South Korea and France to launch comprehensive cooperation spanning nuclear power, offshore wind, and advanced industries. The two countries are pursuing joint entry into the global nuclear market while upgrading their relationship to a "Global Strategic Partnership," extending cooperation beyond economics into security.
"We have laid the groundwork for cooperation ranging from nuclear fuel supply to joint entry into global markets," Lee said at the summit and joint press conference at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday.
Macron said the expanded cooperation "includes the civilian nuclear sector," adding that "research cooperation can be strengthened in areas such as nuclear fusion and laser technology."
KHNP, Orano, and Framatome signed MOUs and agreed to build a cooperative framework covering the entire nuclear supply chain. The plan combines fuel supply stability with design and maintenance capabilities to jointly enter global nuclear markets.
Joint Response to Middle East Energy Crisis — KHNP Signs MOU with French Nuclear Firms
Orano is a nuclear fuel specialist handling everything from uranium mining and enrichment to fuel manufacturing and spent fuel reprocessing. It is a key pillar of France's nuclear supply chain. As one of the few companies possessing reprocessing technology, its strategic importance has grown amid instability in the Middle East and Africa.
Framatome is an engineering firm responsible for reactor design, core component manufacturing, and maintenance. It produces major equipment such as steam generators and pressurizers and performs nuclear plant maintenance worldwide. Électricité de France (EDF) is a major shareholder, tying the company closely to national nuclear strategy.
Combining Korea's construction and project management capabilities with France's fuel and design technology is expected to significantly boost competitiveness in global markets. The strategy appears aimed at securing the capacity to handle large-scale projects through a full-cycle cooperation structure covering fuel, design, and construction — projects difficult for any single country to execute alone.
The Middle East war-triggered energy crisis lies behind the two countries' decision to deepen cooperation on nuclear power, a core national technology. Lee said, "The repercussions of the Middle East war are shaking the international order, and the impact is spreading to the global economy and energy sector."
An MOU on offshore wind follows the same logic. KHNP and EDF will begin joint development of the Haema offshore wind power project in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province. KHNP will take an equity stake and handle project management and Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) purchases, while EDF will also take an equity stake and participate in project management.
Beyond energy cooperation in nuclear and offshore wind, the two countries agreed to expand collaboration in critical minerals, AI, semiconductors, and quantum technology. Lee said, "Through cooperation in AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, and critical mineral supply chains, we have simultaneously established new growth engines and a foundation for industrial stability."
Economic cooperation targets were also set. "Bilateral trade reached a record $15 billion last year, but we cannot be satisfied with that," Lee said. "We will work together toward achieving $20 billion by 2030."
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges will expand in parallel. The two countries agreed to revise their working holiday agreement and improve aviation accords to broaden the foundation for exchange, pursuing "an era of one million people-to-people exchanges."
At the joint press conference, Macron stressed, "The Republic of Korea and France understand the importance of multilateralism. We must build multilateral resolution frameworks in an unstable international environment." The remark was interpreted as a message that multilateral diplomacy should be used to mitigate uncertainty in the international order amid a trend toward U.S.-centered unilateralism.
Jay Y. Lee Meets Mistral AI Chief — State Luncheon Becomes Arena of Private Diplomacy
The state luncheon held at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday, on the occasion of Macron's state visit, served as a stage for private diplomacy bringing together business, cultural, and academic figures. Top business leaders including Jay Y. Lee, executive chairman of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), and Euisun Chung, executive chairman of Hyundai Motor Group (005380.KS), turned out in force. Discussions covered cooperation in nuclear power, defense, bio, and cultural tourism. ★See Page 6 of the April 2 print edition
The most striking scene at the luncheon was Jay Y. Lee sitting alongside Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of French AI company Mistral AI. Observers said the meeting between Samsung Electronics' semiconductor and mobile powerhouse leader and the head of Europe's leading generative AI company symbolized a shift in the center of gravity of Korea-France cooperation — moving beyond manufacturing into AI, semiconductors, and advanced technology.
Also in attendance were Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla; Kim Hoe-cheon, president of KHNP; Shin Ik-hyun, CEO of LIG Nex1; and Kim Jong-chul, CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) (047810.KS). With figures spanning cultural tourism, nuclear power, and defense all present, the luncheon resembled a microcosm of industrial cooperation.
Naver (035420.KS) CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Celltrion (068270.KS) CEO Seo Jin-seok, and Chongkundang Chairman Lee Jang-han also attended. Unlike traditional business events centered on manufacturing, the broad inclusion of executives from bio, nuclear, renewable energy, and platform companies demonstrated that the bilateral cooperation agenda is expanding across the entire industrial ecosystem.
The agenda discussed at the luncheon table directly aligned with corporate interests. The two leaders and attendees discussed cooperation centered on AI, quantum technology, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear energy. Energy supply risks stemming from Middle East instability were particularly highlighted, naturally bringing nuclear and renewable energy cooperation to the fore.
In his welcoming remarks, President Lee said, "France is Korea's old friend and colleague," noting France was "an important supporter during the Korean War and industrialization." He added, "Nuclear plants were built based on French technology in the 1980s, enabling rapid economic growth," reaffirming the significance of nuclear cooperation.
In his reply, Macron greeted attendees in Korean, saying "Annyeonghashimnikka," and said, "The Korea-France relationship is like a 'golden thread' connecting our hearts." He stressed plans to "expand cooperation in future industry areas including energy, semiconductors, space, and AI." During the toast, he called out "Wihayeo" in Korean, drawing enthusiastic applause.
