The Korea Herald

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Macron hopes for early visit to S. Korea: envoy

By Yonhap

Published : Jan. 15, 2023 - 10:36

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This photo shows President Emmanuel Macron (on the right) and South Korean Ambassador to France Choi Jai-chul during their meeting on Friday, at the Elysee Palace. (Embassy of South Korea in Paris) This photo shows President Emmanuel Macron (on the right) and South Korean Ambassador to France Choi Jai-chul during their meeting on Friday, at the Elysee Palace. (Embassy of South Korea in Paris)

PARIS-- French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed hope for visiting South Korea at an early date to hold talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Seoul's top envoy here said Sunday.

Ambassador Choi Jai-chul said he presented his credentials to Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday and then had an hourlong conversation, joined by several other new foreign ambassadors.

Macron was quoted as saying he hopes to visit South Korea at an early date to discuss ways for the development of Seoul-Paris ties.

Yoon invited Macron to South Korea during their talks in June held on the sidelines of the 2022 Madrid summit of member and partner countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

There has been no visit by a French president to South Korea for almost eight years. In November 2015, then President Francois Hollande made a state visit for a summit with then South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Macron visited South Korea in November 2014 for a ministerial meeting while serving as minister of economics, industry and digital affairs under the Hollande administration.

Yoon appointed Choi as the ambassador to France last month. Choi previously served as ambassador to Morocco and Denmark as well as top envoy for climate change. (Yonhap)