Lee and Macron Agree on Hormuz Cooperation, Expand Defense Ties

During a state visit to France marking the 140th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, President Lee Jae-myung and President Emmanuel Macron held a summit at the Elysee Palace, agreeing to cooperate on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz — which Macron described as a 'peaceful' multinational effort. Seoul stopped short of committing troops, saying it is 'reviewing various options, including military measures, but no deployment decision has been made,' amid an Iranian warning that military participation would be treated as support for U.S. action. The two sides also upgraded their military classified-information protection agreement, agreed to pursue a mutual military logistics support pact, and committed to defense-industry cooperation pairing France's technology with Korea's manufacturing base, including potential Airbus partnerships.