President Lee Jae-myung has been awarded France's highest honor, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor. First Lady Kim Hye-kyung also received the National Order of the Grand Cross, marking the highest level of recognition from the French government.
On September 8, during a written briefing, Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong announced that the presidential couple attended a state dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
The dinner was attended by key figures from both governments, along with 17 prominent individuals from South Korea's economic and cultural sectors.
Among the business leaders present were Ryu Jin, chairman of the Korea Economic Association; Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics; Koo Ja-eun, chairman of LS Group; Cho Hyun-joon, chairman of Hyosung Group; Ryu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics; Sung Kim, president of Hyundai Motor; Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver; Na Sang-seop, CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies; Seo Jin-seok, CEO of Celltrion; Choi Kyung, CEO of Cosmax; and Lee Jun-gu, CEO of Qunova Computing.
They also participated in a Korea-France business roundtable prior to the dinner, discussing cooperation in future strategic industries such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, energy, mobility, biotechnology, and beauty.
From the cultural sector, attendees included Kang Dae-hyun, co-CEO of Nexon Korea; Park Jun-seo, CEO of SLL; Park Kwang-soo, chairman of the Busan International Film Festival; Han Sang-jun, chairman of the Korean Film Council; Kim Yoon-ji, head of the Korea Creative Content Agency; and singer Hwasa. These cultural figures also attended the 'Lumière Summit' held the previous day in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where they discussed ways to enhance cultural cooperation between the two countries.
As the dinner concluded, Hwasa performed a solo concert, showcasing the appeal of Korean culture and further emphasizing the significance of Korea-France cultural collaboration.
In his dinner speech, President Lee reflected on his earlier visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe, where he met French veterans who participated in the Battle of Jipyeongri. He expressed his deep emotions, stating, "Tears welled up in my eyes."
He emphasized the importance of expanding future cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy, AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, critical minerals, culture, and human exchanges, based on the friendship and solidarity built over 140 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and France.
President Lee remarked that through this visit, he feels he has become a true 'copain,' or 'friend who shares bread,' with President Macron, wishing for a bright future built on the enduring friendship between the two nations.
During this visit, President Lee also prepared gifts to commemorate the exchange between the two leaders during Macron's state visit to Korea in April. He presented Macron with a celadon gayageum, a traditional Korean string instrument, crafted in a smaller size. This gift was inspired by Macron's attendance at a performance of traditional Korean string instruments and his deep appreciation for music, having won awards in piano competitions during his school years.
Additionally, he gifted French translations of Han Kang's works, including 'The Vegetarian,' 'The Boy is Coming,' and 'The White Book.' This was in response to Macron's reference to Han's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, where he likened the relationship between the two countries to 'golden threads.'
For Brigitte Macron, he presented a collection of piano works by pianist Cho Seong-jin and a mother-of-pearl clutch bag decorated with lacquer on hemp, symbolizing a response to Brigitte's gift of the first edition of the score for Maurice Ravel's 'Le Tombeau de Couperin' during her visit in April.
Spokesperson Kang expressed hope that this state visit would serve as an opportunity to further develop the Korea-France relationship across various fields, including economics and culture, based on the trust and closeness established between the two leaders.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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