in Focus
Opening a New Chapter
in Korea–France Cooperation
Built on 140 Years
of Friendship and Exchange
Key figures from Korea and France gathered in Paris amid a growing U.S.-driven uncertainty over global trade. From May 19 to 21 (local time), Jin Roy Ryu, Chairman of FKI, led a Korean private-sector economic delegation to Paris, where they met with the French President, government officials, and business leaders to exchange insights on global trade issues and explore ways to enhance bilateral economic cooperation.
May 19–21 Paris, France
Choose France Summit
Korea–France Special Roundtable
Korea–France Business Dialogue for Our Future
- Sessions on decarbonization, aerospace, advanced materials, startups, etc.
- Adoption of a joint declaration
Site visits to local industries
On May 19, the Korean economic delegation participated in the Korea–France Special Roundtable held at the Palace of Versailles. The meeting brought together President Emmanuel Macron, French government ministers, and major industry leaders to discuss economic collaboration between the two countries. Notably, this was the only bilateral business meeting hosted within the 2025 Choose France Summit—underscoring its significance.
Choose France, hosted by President Macron, is France’s flagship business event, held annually to promote the country’s industrial and investment environment. The event invites 100 to 150 CEOs from leading global companies each year. Now in its eighth iteration, this year’s summit included six invited Korean companies: FKI (Chairman Jin Roy Ryu), CJ Group (Chairman Kyung-shik Sohn), Korean Air (Chairman Won-tae Cho), SPC Group (President Jin-soo Hur), Hyundai Motor Company (Vice Chairman Jae-hoon Chang), and Enchem (CEO Jung-kang Oh). The French were represented by President Macron; Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs; François Jackow, CEO of Air Liquide; and senior executives from BNP Paribas and Airbus.
The roundtable centered on strengthening industrial cooperation between Korea and France and exploring the local investment environment in France. Korean participants also attended additional sessions hosted by President Macron, including 1:1 ministerial meetings and B2B events with over 200 global CEOs. Key topics included carbon neutrality, clean energy, and defense, with discussions aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in these fields.
“In today’s global environment, France and Korea share common values—competitiveness, open markets, data-driven economies, digitalization, and economic diversification. With so much in common across industry, decarbonization, lifestyle, and culture, the potential for deeper collaboration is clear.”
- Emmanuel Macron, President of France
“As we approach the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France next year, the continued growth in bilateral trade is a very positive sign. I hope today’s meetings will serve as a launchpad for meaningful cooperation in key growth sectors like AI and decarbonization.”
- Jin Roy Ryu, Chairman of FKI
On May 20, the day after the Choose France Summit, FKI co-hosted the 2nd Korea–France Business Dialogue for Our Future with the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) at Station F in Paris—the world’s largest startup campus. Launched in May 2023 in Seoul, this dialogue platform has since become the leading channel for promoting cooperation between the private sectors of Korea and France.
To attend this year’s dialogue, a delegation of around 50 representatives from 20 Korean companies—including Hyundai Motor Company, LG Chem, Korean Air, Hanwha Solutions, CJ Group, POSCO, and Poongsan—visited Paris. On the French side, approximately 70 participants joined from companies such as Air Liquide, TotalEnergies, Airbus, Thales, BNP Paribas, and STMicroelectronics.
The dialogue featured wide-ranging discussions focused on practical cooperation between Korea and France in decarbonized mobility and industry, aerospace, advanced materials, and startups.
Session 1-1 Decarbonized Mobility
Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company and Hanwha Q ENERGY, along with France’s Air Liquide and TotalEnergies, led the conversation on decarbonized mobility. Ken Ramirez, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group, emphasized hydrogen as a key energy source for sustainable future mobility and introduced Hyundai’s global hydrogen ecosystem strategy. Jun-u Lee, CEO of Hanwha Q ENERGY, highlighted the importance of expanding EV charging infrastructure based on renewable energy and deploying energy storage solutions to realize decarbonized mobility across Europe.
Session 1-2 Decarbonized Industry
POSCO and LG Chem represented Korea in the decarbonized industry session. Yun-ju Ko, Executive Vice President of LG Chem, noted that global momentum for decarbonization has weakened due to the rising cost of ESG compliance. As strategies to address this challenge, he proposed modular upgrades to existing facilities, risk-sharing in R&D through public-private partnerships, and expanded global joint ventures, stressing the importance of collaboration to achieve carbon neutrality.
Session 2 Aerospace
The aerospace session brought together France’s Airbus and Korea’s Korean Air to discuss collaboration on eco-friendly aircraft development and sustainable aviation technologies. Kyung-nam Kim, Head of Korean Air Aviation Technology Research Institute, expressed the company’s commitment to expanding cooperation with French partners based on its strengths in advanced composite materials and UAV development.
Session 3 Advanced Materials
The advanced materials session featured France’s STMicroelectronics and Arkema alongside Korea’s Poongsan Materials Technology Research Institute and startup MADE. Discussions focused on collaboration opportunities in semiconductors, batteries, and 3D printing. Cheol-min Park, Director of Poongsan’s institute, presented recent developments in high-performance copper alloys and composite materials, and voiced interest in partnering with European firms. Shin-hoo Cho, CEO of MADE, introduced the company’s silicon carbide-based 3D printing technology and expressed optimism for future cooperation with French companies.
To conclude the dialogue, FKI and MEDEF adopted a Joint Declaration of the 2nd Korea–France Business Dialogue for Our Future, outlining a shared vision for deeper private-sector cooperation. Recognizing more than 140 years of diplomatic ties, the declaration reaffirmed that Korea and France are long-standing friends and trusted partners, committed to navigating the challenges of global uncertainty and supply chain realignment together.
The joint declaration included commitments to: expand private-sector cooperation in future strategic industries such as aerospace, energy, and startups; respond jointly through information sharing on global trade issues; and promote increased private exchange in celebration of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The business communities of both countries concluded the dialogue on a high note, pledging to continue collaboration and exchange to produce tangible outcomes and to hold the 3rd Business Dialogue in Korea in 2026.
1. Addressing Decarbonization
2. Strengthening Cooperation in the Aerospace Sector
3. Expanding Collaboration in Advanced Materials
4. Promoting Startup Ecosystems and Innovation
5. Enhancing Coordination on the Global Stage and Private-Sector Cooperation
6. Expanding Private-Sector Cooperation for the 140th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations in 2026