Strategic Dialogue in Paris Highlights Need for Enhanced Security Coordination

During a strategic dialogue in Paris on 29 August, senior defence officials from South Korea and France exchanged views on the converging security environment across Europe and the Indo‑Pacific.

Deputy Minister Kim Hong‑chol and French International Relations Director Gilom Olanié presented a joint assessment of North Korean nuclear threats and the implications of its growing defence ties with Russia. They emphasized that the security of the Korean Peninsula cannot be divorced from broader European defence considerations.

Both sides agreed to upgrade the institutional framework governing their defence partnership. This includes exploring amendments to the existing secret‑information sharing treaty and expanding the scope of combined military exercises to improve joint operational capabilities.

The meeting reinforced Seoul's message that its policy of peaceful coexistence with the North remains unchanged, while seeking sustained French diplomatic and strategic support. The timing of the talks coincided with recent Russian commendations of North Korean assistance in the Ukraine war and circulating reports of weapons transfers to Moscow.