By Reporter Kayla lee 

At the Korea-France Summit held at the Elysee Palace, President Yoon Suk-yeol said, "France is an old friend. I am expecting Macron's interest in Busan Expo” on June 20.

Korean President Yoon and French President Macron made the announcement at a joint press conference before the summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris later in the day.

"At a time when the world is facing uncertainty and complex crises, bilateral cooperation should be expanded to high-tech and future strategic industries," Yoon said in a statement. "Today, we will discuss ways to promote practical economic cooperation and establish a stable supply chain. We will also explore cooperation in future strategic industries such as space and aviation."

"President Macron has been at the forefront of supporting Ukraine more than any other European leader," Yoon said, adding, "The Republic of Korea will work closely with the international community, including France, to actively extend support for peace and reconstruction in Ukraine."

Yoon said “Following today's summit, I will attend the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly," adding that South Korea is bidding to host the Busan Expo in 2030. "Busan, once filled with refugees from the Korean War, is now South Korea's No. 1 port city and the world's No. 2 transshipment port." 

He continued to say, "The Busan Expo will provide a platform to create new business between global companies in the spirit of innovation and cooperation that the BIE has always stood for."

Noting the long-standing friendship between France and Korea, President Yoon expressed his sincere condolences to the French people. "France is a true friend of Korea who came to our aid when our freedom was at stake in the Korean War in 1950," he said. 

"My country will never forget the noble sacrifices made by 3,421 French veterans for a stranger country and a stranger people." "Thanks to their help, the Republic of Korea was able to get back on its feet and develop into an economic powerhouse with the sixth largest export market share and the eighth largest import market share in the world," he added.

"Over the years, our two countries have developed a close partnership in various fields, sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law," Yoon said. "At a time when the world is facing uncertainty and complex crises, the cooperation between Korea and France should be expanded to high-tech and future strategic industries," he emphasized.

During the summit, the two leaders will discuss ways to promote practical economic cooperation and establish a stable supply chain. They will also explore cooperation in future strategic fields such as space and aviation.
President Yoon also recognized that world peace is threatened by the war in Ukraine, and said that South Korea will work closely with the international community, including France, to actively support peace and reconstruction in Ukraine. "North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are a grave challenge to global peace beyond the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia," Yoon said, adding that the ROK will work closely with France, the permanent member of the Security Council, as the next non-permanent member of the Security Council, to respond to North Korea's illegal provocations in violation of UN Security Council resolutions."

"You can count on France's support for the Republic of Korea to deal decisively with the North Korean nuclear crisis in accordance with our shared commitment to international law, in order to achieve complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization," said French President Macron.  

Macron reaffirmed the goal of achieving the "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" (CVID) of North Korea, saying, "We will support South Korea in dealing decisively with the North Korean nuclear crisis in accordance with our shared commitment to international law.

"We will also continue to firmly condemn flagrant human rights violations," he said, adding, "South Korea's recent move to the Security Council will provide an opportunity for us to work closely together on this (human rights) issue."

The summit will include a joint press statement by the two leaders, a luncheon, and a 30-minute private meeting with a minimal audience.

With this meeting, President Yoon will conclude his meetings with the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) and the European Union (EU) in the last two months.