Korea hosts high‑level summits
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to hold summits this week with French and Indonesian leaders in Seoul to address bilateral issues and pressing global challenges—part of Seoul’s push to act as a bridge between developed and emerging economies. The meetings come as France seeks deeper ties in Africa and Asia while the broader G7 tries to broaden engagement with non‑member states. (koreatimes.co.kr)
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled for a state visit from March 31 to April 2, while French President Emmanuel Macron is slated to visit April 2–3, producing a same‑day overlap on April 2. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) Seoul and Jakarta plan to push a shared KF‑21 fighter partnership that began in 2015 and is now described by officials as in its final development stage. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) French–Korean talks are expected to produce memorandums on cooperation in AI, semiconductors and aerospace, and Macron’s trip will be the first visit by a French president to South Korea since 2017 (the first in 11 years). (en.yna.co.kr) France holds the 2026 G7 presidency and will host the leaders’ summit in Évian on June 15–17, with the 2026 G7 process already issuing energy and foreign‑minister communiqués in March. (g7.utoronto.ca) Élysée Palace plans an “Africa Forward” summit in Nairobi on May 11–12 as part of Macron’s wider push to rebalance France’s ties in Africa while expanding engagement in Asia. (elysee.fr) Korean coverage lists energy security, supply‑chain stability, and Middle East tensions among the meeting agendas, alongside industry topics such as shipbuilding and nuclear cooperation with Indonesia. (en.asiatoday.co.kr)
