Sunday, September 6, 2026

Lee Jae Myung Departs for France, Saying, "I Leave with a Heavy Heart, but I Will Continue to Monitor the Situation in Nepal"

Input
2026-09-06 10:39:07
Updated
2026-09-06 10:39:07
President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung board Code One at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the 6th before departing for a state visit to France. Newsis

[Financial News] President Lee Jae Myung said on the 6th, "The search and rescue operation for the nine South Korean nationals missing in the Nepal floods is still ongoing. Thinking of the families who have been anxiously waiting for news for more than 10 days since the disaster, I feel deeply saddened and burdened. Our embassy and rapid response team will work closely with the Nepalese authorities and make every effort to find the nine people."
President Lee departed from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, that day aboard the presidential aircraft, Code One, for a five-day, three-night state visit to France.
Before departing, President Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "The foreign minister has also visited Nepal first to personally assess the situation on the ground. I, too, will continue to receive updates and take the necessary measures while I am in France," he stressed.
He added, "Although I leave with a heavy heart, I will carry out my diplomatic responsibilities for the national interest and future generations without wavering."
President Lee explained, "This state visit to France comes at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Korea last April, as we mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. Building on the trust and friendship that Korea and France have developed over the past 140 years, I will make this visit a starting point for opening the next 140 years."
He continued, "As co-chairing countries of the Lumière Summit with France, we will explore the future of the film and audiovisual industries and further expand cultural and content cooperation between the two countries. In France, the birthplace of cinema, we will write a new chapter together for K-culture and the global film and audiovisual industries," he emphasized.

[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter