Lee, Macron pledge close cooperation on Hormuz, global supply chains in Paris summit

President Lee Jae Myung said after summit talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday that Korea would cooperate closely with France to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the stability of global supply chains.

“The Republic of Korea and the French Republic will continue to cooperate closely on helping to quickly restore freedom of navigation in the strait and rapidly stabilize global supply chains,” Lee said at a joint press conference following their summit at the Élysée Palace in Paris.

Lee’s state visit to France, a key country leading international efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz along with Britain and the United States, comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has pressured allies, including Korea, to dispatch assets to the region.

Seoul has been deliberating both military and noncombat options, including dispatching troops and assets to the area, to contribute to safer navigation of the critical global oil chokepoint, which has been effectively blockaded since the Iran war began in late February.

Last April, Lee attended a virtual multilateral summit on the Strait of Hormuz led by France and Britain and expressed Korea’s “commitment to contributing to the stability of the strait and freedom of navigation.”

In his summit with Macron, Lee didn’t directly refer to military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, though the two leaders agreed to advance defense and security cooperation and “work together to address growing uncertainties in the international order.”

Earlier Tuesday, Seoul’s Defense Ministry confirmed that an on-site team was dispatched to the region to assess the situation in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week. A Defense Ministry official said in a statement that the assessment team was not sent “under the premise of an actual troop deployment” and that “no decisions have been made” regarding this matter.

During the press briefing with Macron, Lee noted that France is “playing a central role in mobilizing European capabilities to end the war and restore peace in Ukraine” and said that likewise, Seoul has likewise supported Kyiv in a number of areas.

“Korea and France will continue to work together with the international community to attain the restoration of peace and reconstruction of Ukraine,” Lee said. “With the security of Northeast Asia and Europe more closely intertwined than ever before, both countries will continue collaborating closely on achieving peace and stability in the international community, including on the Korean Peninsula.”

Macron during the joint press briefing said the two countries will cooperate to help “restore peace in the region," including on multinational missions once a relevant agreement is reached.

Lee noted that the Pegase joint exercise between the South Korean and French air forces scheduled to be conducted in Seoul next week and the reciprocal port calls by their navies set for later this year will serve as a means of “deepening mutual understanding and interoperability” between their armed forces and enhancing strategic coordination.

They also agreed to accelerate necessary consultations for concluding a mutual logistics support agreement to ensure that the two countries’ armed forces are able to cooperate more efficiently.

Lee noted that Korean companies continue to expand their next-generation technology cooperation with leading French defense companies such as Airbus. He added that building on France’s accumulated technological expertise and Korea’s competitive manufacturing capabilities, the two countries will “actively identify mutually beneficial cooperative projects.”

The two sides further agreed to strengthen economic and industrial cooperation, with the goal of increasing bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2030.

The two leaders also sought to expand collaboration in advanced industries as the two countries deepen their "global strategic partnership," elevated during their Seoul summit in April.

They further agreed to translate advances in areas such as AI, quantum technology, space, nuclear energy and biotechnology into industrial applications and market opportunities.

The two sides also signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation in nuclear research and development and fuel supply to collaborate across the full nuclear lifecycle. Korea and France agreed to work toward the development of next-generation reactors and the diversification of supply chains and to establish a high-level dialogue channel for civil nuclear cooperation.

The two sides also agreed to provide a wider range of air services between the two countries and broaden the eligibility of their working holiday program. They also agreed to expand science and technology cooperation, cultural exchanges and opportunities for K-content to gain access to the European market.

During the summit, Korea and France signed 16 memorandums of understanding (MOU) and other documents covering areas including the defense industry and AI, semiconductor and quantum technology.

Samsung Electronics and Mistral AI, a French start-up seen as Europe's leading contender against U.S. and Chinese AI companies, also signed an investment agreement.

Lee’s state visit to Paris reciprocates Macron’s trip to Seoul in April and takes place as the two countries mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations and seek to deepen their global strategic partnership, elevated for the first time in 22 years in April.

Ahead of the summit talks, Lee took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Lee later attended an official welcome ceremony alongside Macron and was greeted by an honor guard. The two leaders took part in a one-on-one luncheon, followed by expanded summit talks, a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding and a joint press briefing.

They later attended a Korea-France business roundtable attended by business leaders from both countries including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

On Monday, President Lee and Macron co-chaired the Lumière Summit on the future of cinema in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, southeastern France, where the two leaders agreed to invest a total of 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion), or 500 million euros each, in the film and video industries over the next five years.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]