A state luncheon held at Cheongwadae on Thursday during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to South Korea served as a stage for private diplomacy spanning business, culture, and academia. Major business leaders including Jay Y. Lee, chairman of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), and Euisun Chung, executive chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, turned out in force as discussions covered a wide range of cooperation areas from nuclear energy and defense to bio and cultural tourism. ★See Page 6 of the April 2 print edition
One scene that drew particular attention at the luncheon was Jay Y. Lee seated alongside Arthur Mensch, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of French artificial intelligence firm Mistral AI. Observers said the meeting between the head of Samsung Electronics — with its semiconductor and mobile competitiveness — and the leader of Europe's leading generative AI company symbolically demonstrated that the center of gravity in Korea-France cooperation is shifting beyond manufacturing toward AI, semiconductors, and advanced technology.
Also in attendance were Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla; Kim Hoe-cheon, president of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP); Shin Ik-hyun, CEO of LIG Nex1; and Kim Jong-chul, CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). With figures spanning cultural tourism as well as nuclear energy 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 joined. Unlike conventional business events centered on traditional manufacturing, the broad inclusion of figures from bio, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and platform companies showed that the bilateral cooperation agenda is expanding across the entire industrial ecosystem.
The agenda items discussed at the luncheon table also aligned closely with corporate interests. The two leaders and attendees discussed cooperation plans centered on AI, quantum technology, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear energy. Energy supply risks arising from Middle East instability in particular brought nuclear and renewable energy cooperation to the fore.
President Lee Jae-myung said in his welcoming remarks, "France is Korea's longtime friend and partner," adding, "France was an important supporter during the Korean War and the industrialization process." He went on to emphasize the significance of nuclear cooperation, saying, "Nuclear power plants were built based on French technology in the 1980s, enabling rapid economic growth."
President Macron greeted attendees in Korean with "Annyeonghasimnikka" before responding, "The Korea-France relationship is like a 'golden thread' connecting our hearts." He stressed that the two countries would "expand cooperation in future industries including energy, semiconductors, space, and AI." During the toast, he drew laughter from the audience by exclaiming "Wihayeo" — meaning "cheers" — in Korean.
Figures from culture and academia also attended in large numbers, underscoring the breadth of bilateral exchanges. From the cultural world, actress Jun Ji-hyun, K-pop group Stray Kids, painters Lee Bae and Choi Ye-tae, and broadcaster Lee Da-doshi were present. From academia, Lee Kwang-hyung, president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); Yoon Dong-sup, president of Yonsei University; Moon Si-yeon, president of the Korea-France Association; and former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attended.