President Lee Wraps Up State Visit to France, Expected to Focus on Domestic Issues

President Lee Jae-myung has departed for home after wrapping up a four-night, five-day state visit to France.

President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung boarded Air Force One on the evening of the 9th (local time) at Paris Orly Airport, where they were seen off by French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure, Mathias Destang, deputy prefect of Val-de-Marne, and South Korean Ambassador to France Kwon Hyuk-eun and his spouse.

Prior to his departure, President Lee held a meeting earlier that day with Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, attended a luncheon meeting with Korean residents, and met with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.

During the meeting with Korean residents, President Lee remarked, "My term in office is clearly limited by the Constitution."

The remark came as he explained the heavy schedule of summit diplomacy early in his term, which some interpreted as a rebuttal to suspicions raised by conservative opposition parties, including the People Power Party, regarding a potential constitutional amendment for consecutive terms.

On the 7th, President Lee attended the Lumière Summit, an international film and audiovisual summit held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France, as a co-chair and announced plans to invest 500 million euros (approximately 800 billion won) in the film industry over five years.

During subsequent events in Paris, President Lee held a summit meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the 8th (local time), discussing ways to expand the foundation for bilateral strategic cooperation and issues concerning freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

He also attended the Korea-France Business Roundtable, an exchange event for businesses from both countries, where he conveyed his commitment to facilitating inter-firm cooperation at the government level.

Having concluded his state visit to France, President Lee is expected to focus on domestic issues immediately upon his return, alongside preparations for the upcoming Korea-Central Asia Summit to be held in Seoul next week.

Key pending issues include controversies surrounding Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won and Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hye-in, as well as matters related to the deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz and investment in the United States.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.