After a joint press conference following the Korea-France summit, President Moon Jae-in met with President of the French National Assembly Richard Ferrand.
President Moon began by expressing his gratitude to the National Assembly of France for giving special attention to the comfort women issue in Korea and the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
President Moon said, “Close cooperation between the legislatures is as important as exchanges between the governments. In particular, member of the French National Assembly Joachim Son-Forget, president of the Korea-France Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association, played a role in making it possible for Lee Yong-soo, a comfort woman victim, to testify before the French National Assembly on the occasion of International Women’s Day.” He added that he was pleased with the growing vibrancy of bilateral parliamentary exchanges. Lee Yong-soo testified about her tribulations as a victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery before the French National Assembly on March 8 this year.
President Moon said, “President Macron has expressed his welcome and support for the efforts between the two Koreas as well as between the United States and North Korea and promised to work together until complete denuclearization is achieved on the Korean Peninsula.” The President continued his explanations about the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula. Noting that “France is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council,” President Moon requested that France be “a driving force to help accelerate North Korea’s denuclearization measures.”
President Ferrand replied that he appreciated how great President Moon’s dedication to peace is, adding that he would assist in the efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and improve security. He also said that just as the French President had reaffirmed his support for and commitment to the Korean Peninsula peace process, all the members of the Korea-France Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association and the foreign affairs committee of the National Assembly reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that the peace process materializes as envisioned.
Giving high marks to the fact that bilateral economic and cultural cooperation continue to expand, President Ferrand also expressed the hope that the two nations’ comprehensive partnership would grow further.