President Lee Jae Myung Visits France for State Visit and Summit with President Macron

President Lee Jae Myung departed Sunday for a four day visit to France to hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. The trip marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations and follows a visit by President Macron to South Korea in April. President Lee will first travel to Saint Paul de Vence to attend the Lumiere Summit on the future of cinema before beginning a two day state visit to Paris on Tuesday. In Paris, the itinerary includes a wreath laying ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, a one on one luncheon, a summit, and a state dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Macron at the Elysee Palace. President Lee is also scheduled to meet with French National Assembly President Yael Braun Pivet and OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann, as well as attend a business roundtable involving 20 companies from both countries. The visit aims to advance a global strategic partnership focusing on security, the economy, science, technology, and people to people exchanges. Potential discussion topics include cooperation on nuclear power plants and military contributions to the Strait of Hormuz. While center lean reports mention the Strait of Hormuz as a possible discussion point, center right reporting provides more extensive detail on the issue. This includes reports of pressure from US President Donald Trump for South Korean support and the potential deployment of P 8A Poseidon aircraft, Soyang class support ships, or explosive ordnance disposal teams, though the presidential office has stated that no deployment has been decided.