Departure to France and Vietnam on the 19th for a 4-night, 6-day trip
Speaker at BIE General Assembly competitive PT presenting a 'major turnaround differentiation' strategy
Accompanied by a large economic delegation to Vietnam... Expecting multiple MOUs
President Yoon Suk-yeol departed on the 19th for official visits to France and Vietnam. Having proclaimed himself as South Korea's number one sales representative since his inauguration, President Yoon will serve as a speaker for the competitive presentation (PT) at the 172nd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) held in Paris on the 20th. A summit meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron is also scheduled. After completing events such as the European corporate investment declaration ceremony in Paris, President Yoon will move on to Vietnam, where he plans to hold a summit with State President V? V?n Th??ng and focus all efforts on economic diplomacy.
President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee took the presidential aircraft, the 'Air Force One,' from Seongnam Seoul Airport in the morning and headed to Paris. The itinerary includes consecutive visits to France and Vietnam from the 19th to the 24th. During this trip, President Yoon aims not only to generate economic benefits through activities such as promoting the 2030 Busan World Expo bid and attracting investment but also to strengthen diplomatic relations with various countries and garner support for the government's Indo-Pacific strategy.
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are visiting France and Vietnam, are greeting Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, and Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader, who came to see them off at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 19th before boarding Air Force One. [Photo by Yonhap News]
South Korea's No. 1 Salesperson Yoon Appears as BIE PT Speaker... 'Worth 60 Trillion Won'
President Yoon has personally taken the lead in securing the 2030 Busan Expo, which is expected to bring an economic effect estimated by the government at 60 trillion won. The strategy is to capture the votes of member countries ahead of the final announcement of the host country in November and to surpass Saudi Arabia, a strong contender.
Among the candidates Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Rome, Italy; and Odesa, Ukraine, Riyadh is considered South Korea's strongest competitor. In his remarks at the Cabinet meeting on the 13th, President Yoon said, "This presentation at the General Assembly, attended by all 179 member countries, will be an opportunity to showcase the differentiated vision of the Busan Expo." Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia may attend the BIE General Assembly, potentially meeting President Yoon as a competitor seven months after their brotherly relations since last November.
Following the third PT, the government plans to emphasize the legitimacy of the bid by highlighting South Korea's transformation from a recipient of aid after the Korean War to the first country to provide aid, its leadership in environmental protection through the implementation of carbon neutrality and eco-friendly policies, and Busan's development from a refugee city to a global maritime hub. At the same time, the plan is to captivate member countries by emphasizing the power of K-content.
Not only President Yoon but also various figures from different fields, including singer PSY (Park Jae-sang), known worldwide for 'Gangnam Style,' academics, and startup representatives, will serve as PT speakers. Members of the girl group aespa, such as Karina, and world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo will also appear via video to capture the audience's attention. On the 21st, President Yoon will personally attend the official Expo reception hosted by South Korea to promote the bid to delegations from various countries.
Grand Finale of Two Months of G7 and EU Diplomatic Series: Korea-France Summit... Full Effort on Economy, Diplomacy, and Future Cooperation
On the 20th, President Yoon will discuss cooperation measures between the two countries during a luncheon summit with French President Macron at the ?lys?e Palace. This means that within the past two months, President Yoon has held meetings with G7 leaders, including the recent summit in Hiroshima, Japan, and leaders of the European Union (EU).
Especially as South Korea is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2024-25, President Yoon plans to discuss cooperation at the UN Security Council level with France, a permanent member, on issues including North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, human rights, and the Ukraine war. Since France is the first EU country to announce and implement an Indo-Pacific strategy, President Yoon intends to explore cooperation on the Indo-Pacific strategy with President Macron.
In the economic sector, cooperation will cover traditional industries such as nuclear power and defense, as well as advanced industries including supply chains, semiconductors, batteries, digital technology, aviation, and space. Trade volume between South Korea and France has reached a record high of $13 billion, and investment between companies of the two countries is steadily increasing, reaching $486 million. On the 17th, President Yoon emphasized in an article in France's leading daily Le Figaro that "future Korea-France economic cooperation should contribute to building a stable and resilient global supply chain," and that "if South Korea invests in France in areas where it has strengths such as semiconductors, batteries, and digital technology, and France cooperates with South Korea in globally competitive aviation and space sectors, the complementary effect will be significant."
There is also a schedule for investment and future generations. At Station F, the world's largest startup campus, President Yoon will engage in a dialogue with about 150 young people from both countries during the Korea-France Future Innovation Generation Dialogue. Representatives and panelists from Korean and French startups will discuss challenges and innovations for the future generation.
Following this, President Yoon will attend an investment declaration ceremony by European advanced companies that have decided to invest in South Korea. This is the fourth such ceremony during his overseas visits, following those in New York, USA; Davos, Switzerland; and Washington, USA. He will then hold the Paris Digital Forum at Sorbonne University with scholars and announce initiatives to establish new global digital norms.
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are visiting France and Vietnam, are seen boarding Air Force One and waving goodbye at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 19th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Yoon's Third State Visit Since Inauguration: Vietnam... Leading a 205-Member Economic Delegation for Sales
On the 22nd, President Yoon will move to Vietnam. This is his third state visit abroad this year, following the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January and Washington D.C., USA, in April. On the 23rd, during the Korea-Vietnam summit with State President V? V?n Th??ng, discussions will focus on expanding and developing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korea-ASEAN solidarity plan will also be addressed.
This state visit focuses on strengthening economic cooperation with Vietnam, South Korea's third-largest trading partner. Both countries aim to achieve a trade volume of $150 billion by 2030 and plan to expand cooperation in areas such as critical mineral supply chains, renewable energy, innovative science and technology, and smart cities. The schedule also includes events for Korea-Vietnam economic cooperation. At the Korea-Vietnam Partnership Expo, President Yoon will attend the K-Industry showcase, a trade consultation meeting involving 100 Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 200 Vietnamese companies, and the K-Food Festival to encourage businesspeople.
He will visit the Young Tech Startup Grand Challenge competition venue, which selects young Vietnamese entrepreneurs to start businesses in South Korea. Additionally, he will visit Korean language education institutions in Vietnam to support trainees and officials connecting Korea and Vietnam and to pledge to deepen bilateral friendship.
President Yoon will also attend the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum, attended by 500 businesspeople from both countries. At this event, he will evaluate the achievements of economic cooperation with Vietnam and propose a partnership for the next 30 years to revitalize trade and deepen cooperation. This occasion is expected to lead to the signing of multiple memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between companies and institutions on supply chain cooperation for rare metals, infrastructure export development cooperation, and new industry technology cooperation. He will also engage in dialogue with young researchers and innovators at 'V-KIST,' established through official development assistance (ODA) projects at Samsung Electronics' research and development (R&D) center, and at 'Korea IT School,' which trains software personnel.
The visit to Vietnam includes the largest economic delegation since the start of the Yoon administration, with 205 members. Major group leaders attending include Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group; Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group; Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group; and Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group. Small and medium-sized enterprises in service sectors such as distribution, finance, law, medical care, IT, and cultural content account for 81% of the delegation. A presidential office official explained, "Since various SMEs from diverse fields are participating in this delegation, we expect to achieve results such as attracting investment in various sectors."
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