President Lee Jae-myung presented French President Emmanuel Macron, who arrived on a state visit on the 2nd, with a "Gojong Banhwa Hommage" symbolizing 140 years of Korea-France diplomatic relations. The gift is seen as a symbolic diplomatic message that goes beyond a simple souvenir, encapsulating both the starting point of past diplomatic ties and the direction of future cooperation.
Emperor Gojong, who established diplomatic relations with France in 1886, presented a banhwa — an ornamental craftwork featuring jeweled decorations atop a pedestal and a signature diplomatic gift representing the Joseon royal court's stature and aesthetic — to then-French President Sadi Carnot. On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties, President Lee appears to have reinterpreted the banhwa in a contemporary style and presented it again to the French leader, emphasizing the historical continuity of bilateral relations.
Kang Yu-jeong, senior spokesperson of Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, explained in a written briefing that day, "The gift carries our wish for a new beginning in Korea-France diplomatic relations and the eternal prosperity of both nations." If the 1886 banhwa was a "declaration of diplomatic ties," this banhwa hommage symbolizes the development of a "strategic partnership."
The banhwa features peach blossom motifs, known as dohwa, as its core design element. In East Asian tradition, peach blossoms are a representative auspicious symbol signifying good fortune, prosperity, and abundance. The gift presented to Brigitte Macron was also designed as a "multidimensional message" combining tradition and modernity. She received a porcelain tableware set crafted using advanced ceramic techniques along with autographed K-pop artist albums.
The fellowship dinner, composed of courses blending Korean and French cuisine, wove a narrative of bilateral relations through food, with subtitles such as "A Bond Connected by Spring" and "An Exchange of Gastronomy" attached to each dish. The event was assessed as a production seamlessly connecting culture and industry, tradition and modernity, into a single narrative flow.
At the close of the dinner, geomungo — a traditional Korean six-string zither — player Park Da-ul took the stage to perform a blend of traditional and contemporary music. Her performance of "Secret Garden," inspired by the rear garden of Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and "Geomun Toy" elevated the symbolic significance of the dinner.
A "gastronomic diplomacy" message also extended to Macron's accommodation. Three welcome gifts crafted by the Korean national team that participated in the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, a bakery world cup held in Paris in 2026, were placed in the suite. The set comprised an Eiffel Tower-shaped craft piece, bokjumeoni bread — a traditional Korean lucky pouch-shaped bread — and Amiens-style macarons from Macron's hometown, symbolically capturing the cultural intersection of the two nations.
