Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok Meets with French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux

Strengthening Partnerships in Clean Energy and Cultural Tourism

Jeollanam-do Governor Kim Youngrok is having a meeting with Philippe Bertoux, the French Ambassador to Korea, in the provincial government reception room on the 4th and taking a commemorative photo.

On the 4th, Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, met with Philippe Bertoux, Ambassador of France to Korea, in the provincial government office's reception room to discuss ways to strengthen global partnerships between Jeollanam-do and France in areas such as offshore wind energy and cultural tourism.

This meeting was held to promote practical cooperation between the two sides ahead of the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations in 2026.

Governor Kim emphasized Jeollanam-do's global leadership in clean energy, stating, "Jeollanam-do is leading the future of sustainable energy with the world's largest 8.2GW offshore wind farm in Sinan, the creation of renewable energy complexes for RE100 companies, and the expansion of hydrogen industry infrastructure as a future clean energy source."

He continued, "The 1.5GW offshore wind power project in Yeonggwang, in which France's EDF Renewables is participating, is a practical example of partnership between Jeollanam-do and France. Such cooperation will provide an opportunity for both countries to make great strides in the global clean energy market."

He also said, "Through international events such as the Jeonnam International Ink Biennale, the Namdo International Gourmet Industry Expo, and the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, we plan to showcase Jeollanam-do's hidden values to the world," and proposed, "Let us make the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties even more special by exchanging culinary cultures between France, a world-renowned gastronomic powerhouse, and Jeollanam-do, Korea's gourmet region."

In response, Ambassador Bertoux expressed strong agreement with Jeollanam-do's global vision, stating, "I hope that France and Jeollanam-do will further deepen their cooperation as global strategic partners in achieving common goals in the fields of clean energy and cultural tourism."

Meanwhile, the special relationship between Jeollanam-do and France dates back to 1851. At that time, the French whaling ship 'Naval' was stranded near Bigeumdo in Sinan, and about 20 drifting sailors received help from local residents. Later, Montigny, the French consul in Shanghai, led a rescue team and met with Lee Junghyun, the governor of Naju, sharing a dinner with champagne and Makgeolli, thus opening the first diplomatic exchange between the two countries.

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