South Korean President to Visit France for Summit and Film Industry Talks

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will undertake a state visit to France from September 6 to 9, his office announced on Friday. The trip will feature a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and a joint discussion on the film industry.

Lee and Macron will co-chair the one-day Lumiere Summit, scheduled for September 7 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Around 150 politicians, policymakers, and film industry figures have been invited to the event, which the French Embassy in Seoul described as the first international gathering focused on the future of film and video content.

The summit's secretary-general said at a press briefing on Thursday that discussions will center on how the film industry should adapt to artificial intelligence, compete with social media platforms, and address funding shortages.

On September 8, Lee will hold a summit and luncheon with Macron, followed by a business roundtable with executives from about 20 South Korean and French companies.

South Korea views the visit as a chance to broaden cooperation with France in security, the economy, and people-to-people exchanges, building on the upgrade of bilateral ties to a "strategic partnership" during Macron's visit to Seoul in April. National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac told a briefing on Friday that the trip is expected to add momentum to South Korea's diplomacy with Europe. He also noted that Seoul seeks deeper collaboration in areas such as AI, aerospace, and biotechnology.

Before returning home, Lee will meet on September 9 with Yael Braun-Pivet, head of the French lower house, and Mathias Cormann, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).