"Might Not Dispatch Troops to Strait of Hormuz"... South Korea-France Cooperation on Table?

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a state visit to France, will hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron shortly. Attention is focused on whether the two leaders will discuss cooperation regarding troop dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ihk-pyo stated that a deployment might not happen and nothing has been finalized.

Reporting from Paris, this is Park Yerim.

[Reporter]

The Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, is lined with South Korean flags.

A vehicle carrying President Lee Jae-myung approaches the Arc de Triomphe.

An honor guard lined up on both sides welcomes President Lee and the First Lady.

President Lee also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which honors those who fell during World War I.

Shortly afterward, President Lee will have a private luncheon with President Macron at the Elysee Palace, followed by a summit.

Discussions during the summit are expected to cover advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and nuclear power, as well as economic and military intelligence cooperation. In particular, attention is drawn to whether the two leaders will also address the issue of coordinating troop dispatch around the Strait of Hormuz.

Previously, in April, President Lee attended via video link a multilateral summit on Hormuz led by President Macron.

A Cheong Wa Dae official stated, "The stabilization of the Strait of Hormuz is an important matter in terms of securing stability in crude oil imports and ensuring the safety of our citizens and the nation," adding that "President Lee also has many concerns."

Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ihk-pyo appeared on a YouTube channel in Seoul today (Sept. 8) and explained the possibility of troop dispatch as follows:

[Hong Ihk-pyo / Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs (YouTube channel 'Kim Ou-joon's Humility is Hard News Factory'): "There were nuances as if we were entering into combat, but that might not be the case, so we are keeping various scenarios in mind..."]

While noting that internal discussions within the government are ongoing, Secretary Hong maintained a cautious stance, saying that it is not a situation for the public to worry about.

Yesterday in Nice, President Lee met with film artists including Director Lee Chang-dong and actor Jeon Do-yeon to chat about cultural and art policies, and even took a selfie with them.

Following the summit with French President Emmanuel Macron, President Lee is scheduled to attend a business roundtable to explore cooperation between businesses of both countries.

(Video reporting: Yoon Hyeong, Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu, Design: Lee Ga-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.