President Lee Jae-myung paid a 3-night, 5-day state visit to France starting on the 6th at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Arranged to coincide with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France this year, this tour served to multi-dimensionally strengthen cutting-edge industrial cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace, and nuclear energy, while deepening coordination on global security issues. In particular, President Lee focused on significantly expanding the base for K-content's entry into Europe by serving as the co-chair of the "Lumière Summit," an international film and broadcasting summit.

The presidential office evaluated that this tour will serve as an important turning point in elevating the "global strategic partnership" between the two countries to the next level. Before departure, President Lee emphasized through social media, "This visit to France follows the invitation of President Macron, who visited Korea last April, marking the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic ties. As co-chairs of the Lumière Summit with France, we will explore the future of the film and video industries and further expand cultural and content cooperation between the two nations."

According to the detailed schedule, President Lee arrived in France on the afternoon of the 6th and attended the Lumière Summit held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the south on the 7th alongside President Macron in his capacity as co-chair. At this event, attended by about 150 key executives and policymakers in the film, broadcasting, video, and game industries from some 30 countries worldwide, the two leaders discussed the industrial impact of AI, media education, and future economic models, solidifying their positions as cultural powerhouses.

The full-scale state bilateral visit schedule took place in Paris starting on the 8th. Beginning with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe, an official welcoming ceremony was held, followed by a private luncheon and an expanded summit with President Macron at the Élysée Palace. While specifying comprehensive cooperation measures in high-tech fields such as AI, aerospace, nuclear energy, and biotechnology, the two leaders sought ways to jointly respond to the rapidly changing international security order through close summit diplomacy with France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

On the afternoon of the same day, the "Korea-France Business Roundtable" involving some 20 major companies from both countries was held to discuss practical economic cooperation and the discovery of new business models, followed by an Élysée Palace state dinner in the evening.

On the 9th, the final day of the visit, meetings were held with the President of the French National Assembly and a luncheon meeting with compatriots, concluding all tour schedules with a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This state visit is evaluated as an occasion that firmly laid the groundwork for future-oriented cooperation spanning the next 140 years, encompassing an alliance in advanced science and technology and solidarity in culture and arts.

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