Yoon's France and Vietnam Tour... Full-Scale Expo and Economic Diplomacy Efforts

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 to Vietnam, where he plans to hold a summit with State President V? V?n Th??ng and focus all efforts on economic diplomacy.

On the morning of the same day, President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee boarded the presidential aircraft, the 'Air Force One,' at Seongnam Seoul Airport, heading 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 seen boarding Air Force One and heading to the cabin after greeting at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 19th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The main goal of the Paris visit is to secure the 2030 Busan Expo, which the government estimates will bring an economic effect of 60 trillion won. President Yoon’s strategy is to win the votes of member countries before the final announcement of the host country in November and to surpass Saudi Arabia, considered a strong contender. Among the candidates?Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Rome in Italy, and Odesa in Ukraine?Riyadh is regarded as South Korea’s strongest competitor. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia may attend the BIE General Assembly, which could lead to a meeting between him and President Yoon, turning from 'brothers' to 'rivals' after seven months since last November.

On the 20th, a summit meeting combined with a luncheon will be held at the ?lys?e Palace with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss cooperation measures between the two countries. With this, President Yoon will have held meetings with G7 leaders and the European Union (EU) leaders within the past two months, including the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, last month. In the economic sector, cooperation will cover not only traditional industries such as nuclear power and defense but also advanced industries including supply chains, semiconductors, batteries, digital technology, aviation, and space.

On the 22nd, President Yoon will move to Vietnam. This marks his third state visit abroad this year, following visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January and Washington D.C., USA, in April. On the following day, the 23rd, a Korea-Vietnam summit with State President V? V?n Th??ng will discuss ways to expand and develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Additionally, South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korea-ASEAN solidarity initiative will be addressed.

This state visit focuses on strengthening economic cooperation with Vietnam, South Korea’s third-largest trading partner. Both countries plan to expand cooperation in areas such as critical mineral supply chains, renewable energy, innovative science and technology, and smart cities, aiming to achieve a trade volume of 150 billion USD by 2030. Accompanying President Yoon is the largest economic delegation since the start of his administration, consisting of 205 members. Key group representatives 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 (SMEs) and mid-sized companies in sectors such as distribution, finance, law, healthcare, IT, and cultural content make up 81% of the delegation. A presidential office official explained, "Since various SMEs and mid-sized companies from diverse fields are participating in this delegation, we expect to achieve results such as attracting investment in various sectors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.