France and South Korea have agreed to strengthen defence ties and energy security cooperation following a two-day visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Seoul.
Macron’s state visit - the first by a French president in more than a decade - comes as both countries confront defence and energy security challenges linked to the Iran war.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said the two leaders discussed ways to address challenges triggered by the conflict.
“President Macron and I agreed to share policy-related experience and strategies in order to jointly address the economic and energy crises caused by the Middle East war,” Lee said after the summit on Friday (3 April).
He added that both countries had committed to ensuring safe maritime transport through the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron said France and South Korea - both major arms producers - would deepen cooperation in military production and conduct joint exercises.
"On both sides, we want to equip ourselves with greater strategic depth in military production,” he said.
Lee added that cooperation would also expand in security-related sectors, including aerospace and defence.
The two countries are expected to sign preliminary agreements covering sectors such as critical minerals, semiconductors, quantum technologies, nuclear energy and wind power, according to Lee’s office.
They aim to increase bilateral trade from $15 billion in 2025 to $20 billion by 2030.
Lee highlighted a memorandum of understanding between South Korea’s state-run nuclear operator, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and French companies Orano and Framatome.
He said the agreement would help secure fuel supplies for South Korean nuclear plants and support joint entry into the global nuclear market.
Like many Asian economies, South Korea relies heavily on energy imports, including shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has effectively closed the waterway in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli attacks that began on 28 February, pushing up global energy prices.
Macron said on Thursday it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to reopen the strait, after U.S. President Donald Trump urged allies to work towards restoring access.
Macron’s visit to South Korea followed a trip to Japan on Wednesday, where he and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to coordinate closely on efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran has rejected claims it has been weakened, vowing instead “more crushing” attacks against the United States and Israel. President Masoud Pezeshkian also warned that Israel is fabricating threats about Iran, as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed affecting the global energy market.
A U.S. fighter jet has reportedly been shot down over Iran, with a search and rescue operation underway for the crew, Reuters reported on Friday
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
President Donald Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the U.S. military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.
A U.S. fighter jet has reportedly been shot down over Iran, with a search and rescue operation underway for the crew, Reuters reported on Friday
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In a highly unusual move highlighting shifting narcotics diplomacy, the U.S. has handed over a Chinese fugitive accused of serious drug crimes to authorities in Beijing.
Russian forces launched a day-long barrage of drone strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city on Thursday (2 April), injuring at least two people and sparking fires across several districts, local officials said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 3 April, covering the latest developments you need to know
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