PARIS – President Yoon Suk Yeol held a bilateral summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace in Paris on Tuesday to discuss security matters, including cooperation in the United Nations on North Korean threats, and strengthening their economic partnership.

“Our two countries have developed a close partnership in various fields, sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law,” Yoon and Macron said in a joint press statement.

Noting that North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, in violation of UN resolutions, “is a provocation against global peace,” they said that South Korea, recently elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from 2024 to 2025, plans to work closely with France, one of five permanent members, on such issues.

The two sides also focused on ways to cooperate to promote “practical economic cooperation and build a stable supply chain,” including in future strategic industries such as space and aviation.

The statement recognized Macron’s leadership in supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and added that South Korea will actively work with the international community for the “peace and reconstruction of Ukraine.”

South Korea pledged as a “responsible global nation” to work towards a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, and adding it would cooperate with European nations, including France in this area.

Yoon’s trip to France, which runs through Wednesday, came as he attended the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to give an English-language speech promoting Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid alongside other notable presenters such as Korean singer Psy, also known as Park Jai-sang.

This marks the fourth out of five rounds of presentations, with the Paris-based 179-member BIE, the intergovernmental organization that oversees the World Expo, making a final selection by secret ballot in November.

Korea is competing for the 2030 World Expo bid against Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, Ukraine’s Odesa and Italy’s Rome.

The two leaders held summit talks, a luncheon meeting and a joint press briefing, which comes as Korea and France work toward advancing cooperative relations after establishing a comprehensive partnership in 2004.

In their joint press conference, Macron said that France supports South Korea in dealing resolutely on the North Korean nuclear crisis, based on international law, to achieve the “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of Pyongyang.

He then called to continue to “firmly condemn the obvious violation of human rights” in North Korea.

Macron congratulated South Korea’s recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, noting this will provide an opportunity for the two countries to work closely together on the Pyongyang issue.

In the joint statement, Yoon asked French people for their support for Korea’s World Expo bid, noting that Busan is a leading port city not only in the country but globally.

He stressed that if Busan wins the Expo bid, it will “inherit the spirit of innovation and cooperation” and “provide a platform for exchanges that will create new business between global companies.”

The statement also described France as a “true ally” that fought alongside South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, noting the contributions and sacrifices of French troops.

Through his summit with Macron, Yoon met with the leaders of all Group of 7 countries within the past two months.

On Monday afternoon, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee arrived in Paris as a part of a two-country, six-day trip that will also take them to Vietnam for a state visit later in the week.

As their first schedule in Paris, Yoon and Kim met with a group of some 160 Koreans living in France, including business executives from global companies such as L’Oréal, musicians, Korean adoptees and former French government officials of Korean heritage such as Fleur Pellerin, a former French culture minister.

“I hope that our compatriots in France will join forces so that Busan can be selected as the host of the World Expo in Paris in November,” Yoon said, according to the presidential office.

“Korea and France have grown and developed together based on solidarity and cooperation during our 137-year history of diplomatic relations,” Yoon said. “During the Korean War, we shed blood and fought together to defend the freedom of the Republic of Korea. Today, Korea and France are partners who share universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law.”

He stressed that the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in high-tech technologies and the global agenda through active cultural and human exchanges.

“We, of course, look forward to our compatriots in France joining forces with the central and local governments, the private sector and the Korean people as we aspire to host the Expo,” Yoon said.

He added that the final vote to select the World Expo host city by the BIE will be held in November in Paris, a city that boasts a rich exposition heritage through the Eiffel Tower.

While noting that hosting the World Expo poses an even greater challenge than bids for the Olympics or World Cup because of the secret ballot voting method, Yoon said if Korea secures the opportunity, it will “usher in a new era for global diplomacy.”

Korean officials that attended included Foreign Minister Park Jin, Trade Minister Lee Chang-yang and Lee Key-cheol, head of the new Overseas Koreans Agency.

Yoon further highlighted France’s interest in Korean culture, including K-Pop, food, dance and webtoons, noting that there are more than 200 Korean restaurants in Paris alone.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]