South Korean president leaves for France to discuss possible Hormuz deployment with Macron

President Lee Jae Myung is leaving for France on a state visit that is expected to extend beyond cultural cooperation. His talks with President Emmanuel Macron could make progress on discussions about deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

Lee will visit France from the 6th to the 9th at Macron’s invitation. On the 7th, local time, he is scheduled to attend the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France, according to the presidential office.

The summit is a new international conference focused on the future of film and video content. Macron proposed jointly hosting it during his state visit to South Korea in April. Lee has emphasized developing the cultural and arts industries as future growth engines, and the trip is expected to provide an opportunity to expand cooperation in cultural content.

The agenda is also expected to include security, economic and nuclear issues. Particular attention is focused on the leaders’ one-on-one meeting and whether it will advance discussions over a South Korean deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.