French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Seoul on 2 April 2026 for a two-day state visit. It was his first trip to South Korea since taking office in 2017 and the first by a French president since 2015. The visit, part of a wider East Asian tour following an official trip to Japan, coincided with the 140th anniversary of Franco-Korean diplomatic relations. France and South Korea elevated their bilateral ties to a “Global Strategic Partnership”, marking the first upgrade since the two countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2004.
On his first evening, President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron laid a wreath at the War Memorial of Korea to honour the sacrifices made by soldiers during the Korean War. He then attended a private dinner at the Blue House hosted by President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung.
The programme began on 3 April with an official welcome ceremony featuring a tri-service honour guard. This was followed by summit talks, a signing ceremony for agreements and MOUs, a joint press conference, and a state luncheon for roughly 140 political, business, and cultural figures. Macron then delivered a speech at Yonsei University, attended a Franco-Korean Economic Forum, and inaugurated the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul.
Outcomes of the Visit
The two countries revised three agreements, including the Cultural Technology Cooperation Agreement, the Working Holiday Agreement, and the Agreement on the Protection of Military Classified Information. In addition, they signed a total of 11 cooperation MOUs in areas such as critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, quantum technology, offshore wind, and forestry, as well as grant and non-grant development.
President Macron stated that the countries would give defence cooperation “a contemporary dimension”, citing joint exercises and increased collaboration in production and critical military capabilities. The two sides revised their military classified information protection agreement and planned a stopover of France’s PEGASE air mission in South Korea in autumn 2026.
In terms of nuclear energy, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed cooperation MoUs with France’s Orano, Framatome, and EDF, covering the nuclear fuel cycle, reactor components, and the Haema offshore wind power project. Both countries committed to cooperation on fourth-generation reactors and nuclear fusion research, linking France’s WEST and Korea’s KSTAR facilities.
Regarding technology, the leaders signed a letter of intent on AI, semiconductors, and quantum technologies. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong met Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch at the state luncheon to discuss AI memory chips. Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon separately discussed AI and cloud cooperation with President Macron.
The leaders set a bilateral trade target of USD 20 billion by 2030, up from USD 15 billion in 2025, and committed to doubling employment at firms with bilateral ties to 80,000 over the next decade. A letter of intent on critical mineral supply chains was also signed.
South Korean and French officials signed agreements to collaborate on critical minerals, with a letter of intent signed by Korean Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to secure supply chains.
The two countries agreed to raise language exchange targets to 100,000 French learners in Korea and Korean learners in France by 2035. The working holiday agreement was revised, increasing the eligible age from 18–30 to 18–35. President Macron inaugurated the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul, a new modern art institution set to open to the public on 4 June 2026. Macron stated: “This museum will stand as a bridge between France and Korea.”
Both presidents issued a joint declaration on ocean preservation, pledging cooperation on marine biodiversity, the sustainable use of ocean resources, and the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, which entered into force in January 2026.
President Macron invited President Lee to the G7 summit to be held in France in June 2026 at Évian, which President Lee accepted. Macron also proposed co-hosting an international film and audiovisual industry summit in September 2026.
