President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Nov. 1, 2025, shake hands before their bilateral summit at Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

By Theresia Margareth
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and French President Emmanuel Macron will make state visits to Korea at the invitation of President Lee Jae Myung, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said on March 13 in a written briefing.

President Prabowo visited Korea in October last year to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and held a bilateral summit with President Lee.

To visit from March 31 through April 2, President Prabowo will attend his official welcoming ceremony on April 1 with President Lee as well as their talks, signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding and state luncheon.

Both leaders will discuss upgrading cooperation in trade, investment, national defense and the defense industry to further elevate their special bilateral strategic partnership.

They will also discuss reinforcing practical cooperation in new growth sectors spanning cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), infrastructure, shipbuilding, nuclear power, energy transition, and creative and culture industries.

Spokesperson Kang said, "Based on the solid trust between both countries for over half a century since the setup of bilateral ties in 1973, President Prabowo's visit to Korea will further strengthen solidarity and cooperation between the two countries as middle powers for sustainable prosperity and contributions to regional and global stability and peace."

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron on Nov. 22, 2025, hold talks at the Nasreq Expo Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit.

From April 2-3, President Macron will pay a state visit as the first European leader to do so since President Lee's inauguration. This will also mark the French leader's first trip to Korea since taking office in 2017 and the first by a French head of state in 11 years.

Presidents Lee and Macron on April 3 will attend the latter's official welcoming ceremony, their summit, ceremony for signing treaties and MOUs, and state luncheon.

To further enhance bilateral relations to a strategic level, they will discuss higher cooperation in sectors such as trade and investment; cutting-edge industries such as AI, quantum technology, space and nuclear energy; science and technology; education and culture; and people-to-people exchanges.

Spokesperson Kang said, "President Macron's visit to Korea will serve as an important milestone to develop bilateral relations, which are based on trust accumulated over the past 140 years, into a more strategic and future-oriented partnership."

margareth@korea.kr