Lee Jae-myung Departs for France to Co-Chair Lumiere Summit, Meet Macron

President Lee Jae-myung departed Seoul on Sunday for a four-day state visit to France, kicking off a trip designed to deepen cultural and strategic ties between the two countries. The visit begins in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, in the south of France, where Lee is set to co-chair the newly launched Lumiere Summit alongside President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.

The gathering, billed as a global platform for the film, audiovisual and video game industries, is expected to draw roughly 150 participants from more than 30 countries. According to the presidential office, Macron proposed the joint chairmanship and suggested the state visit when he traveled to Seoul in April, a sign of how far the two governments have come in institutionalizing cooperation on the creative economy.

After the summit, Lee will travel to Paris for the formal state visit portion of the trip, opening Tuesday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe followed by an official welcome. Lee and Macron are scheduled to hold a working luncheon and summit talks at the Elysee Palace, alongside a business roundtable bringing together South Korean and French companies, before a state dinner hosted by the French leader. The president is expected to close out the trip Wednesday with separate meetings with National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.

Seoul's presidential office said it expects the visit to yield tangible results across security, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation, building on the momentum established during Macron's April visit to Seoul, when the two countries elevated relations to a "global strategic partnership." That upgrade included commitments to expand cooperation on defense, civilian nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technology, space and biotechnology. This year's trip also coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

One issue likely to surface in the Lee-Macron talks is South Korea's potential military contribution to multinational efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz. France has taken a leading role in organizing that effort, convening senior military officials from 35 countries — including South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung — for a videoconference in March on restoring safe passage through the waterway once regional tensions ease.

The question has taken on added urgency amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Seoul for declining to commit forces to the effort. Local reports last week suggested the government was weighing options such as deploying P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft, a Navy support ship or explosive ordnance disposal teams, though a presidential official said Friday that no decision had been made and that any contribution would need to avoid undermining readiness on the Korean Peninsula.

The France trip marks one of Lee's most closely watched foreign engagements since taking office, combining a showcase of South Korea's cultural industry clout with sensitive strategic discussions that could shape the country's role in an increasingly complex security landscape stretching from the Middle East to Europe.