South Korea’s President Lee to visit France for summit and film-industry talks with Macron

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron will turn their attention to the future of film and video content during Lee’s state visit to France.

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

The summit will consider how the industry should respond to artificial intelligence, compete with social media platforms and manage funding shortages. Lee will also hold a summit and luncheon with Macron on September 8, followed by a business roundtable involving executives from about 20 South Korean and French companies.

Seoul views the September 6 to 9 visit as an opportunity to broaden cooperation in security, the economy and people-to-people ties. The trip follows the upgrade of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during Macron’s visit to Seoul in April.

Lee’s national security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, said the visit could give fresh momentum to South Korea’s diplomacy with Europe. He said Seoul also wants deeper cooperation with France in artificial intelligence, aerospace and biotechnology. Before returning to Seoul, Lee is scheduled to meet French National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.

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We expect this to serve as an opportunity to add fresh momentum to expanding our diplomacy with Europe.