In the summer of 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron cut short his vacation at his country retreat and flew urgently to Beirut. Upon hearing that an explosion at an ammonium nitrate storage facility near Beirut's port had killed more than 100 people and injured over 4,000, he set aside his personal schedule to visit the scene and pledge national support. While offers of help poured in from countries around the world, Macron was the only head of state to personally visit Beirut. Why did he show such deep interest in Lebanon?
Lebanon, which had been an autonomous city under Ottoman Empire rule for some 400 years, became a French colony after World War I. Paradoxically, the 23 years of French colonial rule from 1920 served as a catalyst for Lebanon's modernization. With its pleasant climate year-round, Lebanon was called the "Pearl of the Middle East" and the "Jewel of the Mediterranean," earning recognition as the region's premier resort destination. After French rule, the country adopted French as a semi-official language and built many European-style buildings, earning it the nickname "Paris of the Middle East." By the 1960s, it had emerged as the economic center of the Middle East.
However, the complex demographic composition—with so many religions intermingled that the country was called a "mosaic nation"—planted the seeds of tragedy. Lebanon has as many as 18 officially recognized religious sects, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, a massive influx of Palestinian refugees arrived, and from the 1980s onward, Hezbollah took control of Lebanon. As the country became embroiled in hegemonic struggles among neighboring states, it was reduced to a powder keg of the Middle East.
When Israel bombed Lebanon following a two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, President Macron sent a message to the international community that Lebanon should be included in the ceasefire terms. However, the United States has tacitly approved the bombing, while Israel has pledged additional attacks on Lebanon under the pretext of eliminating Hezbollah, which receives Iranian support. South Korea, too, is entangled in geopolitical issues, and could invite crisis if drawn into conflicts among neighboring nations. At a time when global uncertainty is growing, this is the moment to further strengthen our self-reliance and diplomatic capabilities.
