South Korea, France Agree on Close Coordination Amid Pressure Over Troop Deployment

[Anchor]

Amid growing pressure from the United States over troop deployment, President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a state visit to France, held a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders agreed to continue close bilateral cooperation to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Park Yerim reports from Paris.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung is welcomed with an embrace by President Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France.

Meeting again five months after President Macron's state visit to South Korea last April, the two leaders held a one-hour talks and reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

[Lee Jae-myung / President of South Korea : We agreed to continue our close cooperation so that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the stability of global supply chains can be restored as soon as possible.]

[Emmanuel Macron / President of France : The multinational mission is peaceful in nature, and we will cooperate as soon as relevant consent is secured.]

President Lee's remarks are interpreted as signaling an intent to play an active role in the Strait of Hormuz issue amid intense US pressure for troop deployment, while also leaving the door open for coordination with the broader international community rather than just the United States.

However, a high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official maintained a cautious stance, stating that the discussions between the two leaders should not be characterized as concerning troop deployment.

The official explained that the talks focused on how to build international solidarity for safe navigation in the strait, akin to the UK- and France-led Hormuz multilateral summit held last April, which President Lee attended via video link.

Meanwhile, President Lee met with Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, to request the French parliament's support for the memorandums of understanding signed between South Korea and France in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, culture, and security.

President Lee will wrap up his state visit to France with a meeting with the OECD Secretary-General and will soon depart for home.

Cheong Wa Dae evaluated that this tour served as an opportunity to strengthen security and economic cooperation with France and expand diplomacy toward Europe.

(Camera Reporter: Yoon Hyeong | Video Editor: Oh Young-taek | Designer: Han Heung-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.