South Korean President to Visit France for Nuclear Energy Cooperation Talks

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will pay a state visit to France from September 6 to 9. The South Korean side stated that during the visit, the two sides will hold discussions on cooperation in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, nuclear energy, and biotechnology, with nuclear energy cooperation listed as one of the key agenda items.

South Korean National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac said at a press conference on the 4th that this visit will serve as an opportunity to consolidate the Korea-France "global strategic partnership." The South Korean side hopes to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy through joint research and development, corporate collaboration, and market access, and to drive "tangible progress" on related agenda items.

According to the itinerary, Lee Jae-myung will arrive in France on the 6th and begin bilateral state visit activities in Paris from the 8th, holding talks with Macron. Delegations from both countries will also attend an expanded summit, and business representatives from both sides will participate in the "Korea-France Business Roundtable."

Regarding whether the summit will yield more concrete outcomes on nuclear energy cooperation, a senior official from the South Korean presidential office stated that there are multiple possibilities for cooperation between Korea and France in related fields, and both sides are working to promote concrete progress while expecting discussions on this matter during the leaders' talks. The official did not disclose further details on issues of external interest such as uranium supply cooperation.

Previously, during their talks in April last year, Lee Jae-myung and Macron had already agreed to expand cooperation in nuclear energy and offshore wind power. This visit to France is regarded as an important opportunity for the two countries to further refine the direction of nuclear energy cooperation.