President Lee attends Korean community gathering during France state visit…"Overseas missions must be forward bases for K-culture expansion"

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung held a luncheon gathering on the 9th (local time) at a hotel in Paris with approximately 130 Korean residents including members of the French Korean Association, cultural, artistic, and educational figures, and adoptee community organizations.

During President Lee's state visit to France marking the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations, as voices from Korean residents in various fields continued in a warm and cordial atmosphere, the president scaled down his prepared remarks to listen further to the voices of local Koreans, engaging in personal outreach efforts to hear even more from the community.

The president took notes on attendees' suggestions one by one, demonstrating attentive listening. One Korean resident at the gathering shared, "It was impressive to see the president meticulously taking notes on each point raised and giving them serious thought," and added, "I had been feeling an elevated status of Korea in many areas here on the ground, and to see the president genuinely listen to the voices of the community made me proud and gave me confidence that there will be concrete changes going forward."

Through these expanded speaking opportunities, Lee Jung-joo, a geomungo (traditional Korean zither) player active in France and director of the "Spring of Korea" festival in Nantes, took the microphone and shared his experience being selected for the French support system for artists (Intermittent du spectacle), working as a professional musician, and leading the Korean cultural festival in Nantes for 13 years. Mr. Lee requested, "Please establish sustainable policy support measures so that the networks of cultural and artistic figures settling and working abroad can be connected as important cultural diplomatic assets of the Republic of Korea."

Various proposals followed from earlier remarks by Korean residents as well. Lee So-ra, an advisor to the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, conveyed the high popularity of K-food in the local culinary industry and proposed expanding the participation of young creators in official events. Professor Kim Hye-kyung from Aix-Marseille University testified to the heated enthusiasm for Korean language education in the area. Lee Jae-dong, chairman of the "Korean Roots Association," expressed gratitude for the government's ratification of the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention and measures related to illegal adoption.

President Lee emphasized Korea's enhanced national standing amid rapidly changing global circumstances. The president stated, "The international community's perspective on Korea has clearly changed not only in cutting-edge industries but also in the cultural and artistic fields," mentioning the "Lumière Summit," an international film and visual summit co-hosted with French President Macron, and reminded attendees of K-culture's elevated status.

He also articulated the concrete economic effects brought by summit diplomacy. President Lee said, "For the Republic of Korea as an open trading nation, meetings between leaders provide opportunities for trade, investment, and economic and security cooperation," and explained, "In fact, concrete effects are emerging, including increased exports and private exchanges with countries we have visited."

Regarding the reason for accelerating diplomatic visits early in his term, he emphasized, "My term is clearly limited, so ultimately, we must start quickly to enjoy the benefits for a long time," and "Even if we build excellent relationships later in my term, the opportunities to utilize them become limited."

He also discussed his convictions about domestic social change and democracy. President Lee cited the historical experience of the French Revolution as an example and stated, "When energy is abundant, there is a need for restraint," and "With the agreement of many people, we must move in the desirable direction we should pursue while minimizing pain and resistance."

Finally, President Lee said, "Overseas missions must become forward bases not only for companies' overseas expansion but also for spreading our culture," and promised to carefully address pending issues in the Korean diaspora community, including support for Korean language schools, lowering the age limit for dual nationality, and improving voting convenience for overseas Koreans.

Meanwhile, at the gathering, master violinist Park Ji-yoon of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and other top-tier local Korean musicians performed Mozart's String Quartet, adding significance to Korea-France cultural exchange.