South Korea to host Macron and Prabowo Subianto on separate state visits
The South Korean presidential office said on the 13th that two foreign leaders will visit in the near term: French President Emmanuel Macron for a state visit, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s successor, Prabowo Subianto, for a separate state visit. Macron is slated to arrive for a two-day, one-night stay on the 2nd and 3rd of next month, while Prabowo will travel to Korea from January 31 to February 2 for a three-day visit.
Macron’s visit will mark the first state visit by a European leader to Korea since the Lee Jae-myung administration began, and the first French president to visit in 11 years. The planned summit on the 3rd is described as an opportunity to elevate Korea-France ties to a strategic level, with discussions expected on trade and investment, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space and nuclear sectors, advanced industries, science and education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. The Blue House underscored that France, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, will also discuss broader regional security and global issues.
The Indonesian presidency will also be represented at a high level during a separate three-day visit, during which Prabowo Subianto will meet with President Lee and other Korean officials. The leaders are scheduled to hold a summit on February 1 to push cooperation in trade, investment, and defense, including the defense industry, as well as AI, infrastructure, shipbuilding, nuclear energy, energy transition, and culture and creative industries. The two governments are expected to discuss ways to deepen Korea-Indonesia collaboration in areas aligned with both countries’ development priorities.
Officials said the Korea-Indonesia talks will also address regional and global issues, with emphasis on strengthening ties within ASEAN and regional stability in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. Indonesia is highlighted as a key ASEAN partner and the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, making its relationship with Korea a focal point for broader regional diplomacy and economic alignment.
Separately, President Lee Jae-myung traveled to Chungbuk Province for a town hall meeting, a regular series aimed at engaging regional residents on national policy. About 200 attendees gathered as the president heard local concerns and responded in a free-flow format. This town hall is the 11th in a nationwide series that has visited major cities and regions to discuss local issues alongside national priorities.
In Chungbuk, discussions were expected to cover the domestic impact of tensions in the Middle East on everyday life, as well as regional infrastructure projects. The president’s itinerary included plans to address the construction of a dedicated runway at Cheongju International Airport and the development of Cheongju and the nearby Osong area into an advanced industrial city spanning bio, battery, and other high-tech sectors. Lee has touted Cheongju’s airport and Osong Station as anchors for a central-region transportation network that could support future growth.
Context for U.S. readers: the visits signal Korea’s push to deepen ties with major EU partners and with Southeast Asia, reinforcing supply-chain resilience and shared technology development in AI, quantum, energy, and next-generation manufacturing. The Macron talks could influence European access to Korea’s advanced tech sectors and align on standards, export controls, and investment in AI and space tech. The Indonesia discussions reflect Korea’s interest in strengthening ties with ASEAN and safeguarding regional stability, with potential implications for defense collaboration, energy projects, and cross-border supply chains. For U.S. policymakers and markets, the events underscore Korea’s role as a pivotal hub for technology, manufacturing, and regional security in a period of expanding great-power competition and evolving global trade networks.