Philippe Lefort, French Ambassador to Korea, Visits Governor

Gyeongnam Provincial Delegation Participates in June 2023 Paris Air Show

Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, and Philippe LEFORT, French Ambassador to Korea, pledged mutual cooperation and exchange in the aerospace industry sector.

On the afternoon of the 17th, Ambassador Philippe LEFORT visited Gyeongnam to discuss ways to expand industrial cooperation.

Governor Park and Ambassador LEFORT exchanged views on cooperation plans in the aerospace sector, focusing on Sacheon, where the Aerospace Agency will be established.

The meeting was attended by embassy officials including Deputy Chief of Mission Julien Katz, as well as CEOs of the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce, Airbus, Arkema, and Bollor? Logistics’ Korean branches.

Gyeongnam Governor Park Wan-su (right) and Philip Lepore, French Ambassador to Korea, are having a cordial conversation. [Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

Governor Park stated, “Gyeongnam, the center of the aerospace industry, plans to open the Aerospace Agency modeled after NASA within this year,” adding, “We hope to promote friendly exchanges linked to Gyeongnam’s key industries such as aerospace and defense by cooperating with French aerospace institutions and metropolitan governments.”

In response, Ambassador LEFORT said, “I look forward to the boundless development of Gyeongnam, which is growing as an aerospace city,” and “Taking this visit as an opportunity, we will prepare cooperation plans with French companies and public institutions for the development of various industries including Gyeongnam’s aerospace industry.”

He also mentioned, “The French-Korean Chamber of Commerce present here has about 450 member companies ranging from startups to large corporations,” and proposed ▲ exchanges between the Gyeongnam Chamber of Commerce Council and ▲ cooperation between local universities.

They also promised to promote exchanges between Gyeongnam and Occitanie, the metropolitan government where Toulouse city, home to the French Airbus headquarters and aerospace research and development (R&D) companies, is located.

Concluding the conversation, Governor Park promoted the upcoming Hadong World Tea Expo in May and the Sancheong World Traditional Medicine and Anti-Aging Expo in September, requesting the embassy’s promotion and cooperation to encourage French participation.

In June, a Gyeongsangnam-do delegation led by Governor Park is scheduled to participate in the 2023 Paris Air Show to foster aerospace exchange and cooperation with France.

There, they plan to meet with high-level officials from French aerospace institutions and engage with aerospace companies such as Airbus.