Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

During President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to France, Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) met with Roland Lescure, France’s Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, in Paris on September 7, 2026. The two ministers laid the institutional groundwork to take bilateral cooperation in industry, trade and supply chains to a new level.

Korea–France Ministerial Meeting on Economic and Industrial Affairs

The key outcome of the meeting was an agreement to establish the Korea–France Strategic Industrial Dialogue, a ministerial-level consultation channel between the two key ministries responsible for industrial policy. Korea and France will use the dialogue for regular discussions on industrial and trade policy and establish sector-specific working groups to discuss specific issues and cooperation projects in depth. The new dialogue is significant in that it provides a framework for bilateral cooperation across a broad range of industrial and trade issues, including industrial policy, industrial technology, trade and investment, supply chains and economic security, and critical minerals.

Minister Kim also urged France to address key trade issues facing Korean companies in France. In particular, he requested improvements to France’s electric vehicle subsidy scheme to ensure that Korean-made EVs are not placed at a disadvantage. The two sides agreed to continue consultations on the issue through working-level groups and other channels. Minister Kim also welcomed the EU’s intention, reflected in the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), to extend benefits to its key partner countries. He asked for France’s close attention and support so that Korea, as a trusted key industrial partner of the EU, can receive treatment equivalent to that accorded to EU member states.

“With the establishment of the ministerial-level Strategic Industrial Dialogue, Korea and France now have a standing framework for regular consultations that goes beyond addressing individual issues and covers industrial policy, trade and investment, supply chains and economic security,” Minister Kim said. “We will make full use of the new ministerial dialogue and sector-specific working groups to address trade-related difficulties facing Korean companies while continuing to identify new cooperation projects in advanced industries and supply chains.”

KOTRA–Business France MOU

The two countries also took steps to strengthen the basis for trade and investment cooperation at the business level. In the presence of both ministers, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and Business France signed an MOU on business cooperation. The two organizations will expand cooperation by jointly holding trade and investment seminars and supporting startups seeking to enter the other country’s market. They will also strengthen their role as effective communication channels for identifying and addressing difficulties faced by Korean and French companies operating in the other country.

Meeting with Air Liquide CEO

Minister Kim also met separately with François Jackow, CEO of Air Liquide, a French global industrial gas company, to discuss expanding the company’s investment in Korea. Air Liquide completed its acquisition of DIG Airgas in January 2026 and is expanding its business in Korea. During the meeting, Jackow said the company plans to finalize the details of a new investment plan in the near future. Minister Kim welcomed Air Liquide’s continued investment in Korea and said the government would provide the necessary support to ensure the investment plan proceeds smoothly.