President Lee Jae-myung said Thursday that South Korea and France agreed to strengthen energy security by expanding cooperation in nuclear power and offshore wind energy, following a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Lee made the remarks during a joint press statement at the Presidential Office after the Korea-France summit. He said the two leaders also discussed the war in the Middle East.
"We confirmed our will to cooperate in securing safe maritime shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz," Lee said. "President Macron and I agreed to share policy experience and strategies to jointly respond to the economic and energy crises caused by the Middle East war, and to work together to resolve global economic uncertainty."
Lee noted that bilateral trade reached a record $15 billion last year but said the two countries should aim higher. "We will join forces to achieve $20 billion in bilateral trade by 2030," he said. He also praised French company Air Liquide's $3.5 billion investment in South Korea last year. "As we expand investment in new industries, we expect the number of people employed by companies from both countries — currently at about 40,000 — to grow to 80,000 over the next decade," he added.
Lee highlighted a series of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) adopted by the two governments, emphasizing the goal of "promoting joint growth in future industries." He said a letter of intent on cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum technology would "lay the groundwork for new growth engines," while a letter of intent on critical mineral supply chain cooperation would "build a foundation for stable development of the critical minerals industry."
Lee also said that MOUs between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and French firms Orano and Framatome would "enable stable fuel supply for our nuclear power plants while building a foundation for joint entry into the global nuclear energy market."
"We will further expand mutually complementary cooperation in areas such as space and defense," Lee said. "We will also strengthen cultural cooperation and strive to open an era of one million people-to-people exchanges." He added that an MOU between the heritage agencies of both countries would "create an opportunity to introduce the world to Korea's Jongmyo Shrine and France's Basilica of Saint-Denis, among other historic cultural heritage sites."
Lee said France, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has consistently supported South Korea's Korean Peninsula policy. "At the summit, both leaders deeply agreed that peace on the Korean Peninsula affects not only Northeast Asia and Europe but world peace as a whole," he said. "I fully explained that our government is doing its best to resume inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation and to pursue a future of peaceful coexistence and mutual growth. President Macron said France's support for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will continue without change."
Lee said Macron formally invited him to the Group of Seven (G7) summit to be held in Évian, France, in June. "I expect France, as G7 chair, to exercise leadership in addressing economic imbalances in the international community and reforming international partnerships. South Korea will also contribute its wisdom," he said.
"I hope to continue working with President Macron to chart the future of a 'new 140 years,'" Lee said, closing with "Merci beaucoup" — thank you — in French.