The Japan Times - French president Macron heads to South Korea after Japan visit

In Japan, Macron signed a roadmap on critical minerals and defence cooperation and on Thursday held more talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and met the imperial couple with his wife Brigitte.

On Tuesday US President Trump had called France "very unhelpful" over the Iran war, and the next day made fun of Macron, saying his wife "treats him extremely badly" while mimicking his accent.

The French leader on Wednesday had praised Europe's "predictability" while in Japan, contrasting it those that "could hurt you without even informing you", in an apparent nod to the United States.

Trump the same day also criticised South Korea as he urged countries dependent on the Strait of Hormuz to help reopen the key oil route.

"Let the European countries do it. Let South Korea, who was not helpful to us, by the way.You know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm's way over there, right next to a nuclear force. Let South Korea do it," Trump said, referring to North Korea.

"Let Japan do it. They get 90 percent of their oil from the Strait. Let China do it. Let them all do it. What the hell are we doing it for?"

The United States has around 28,500 troops in South Korea.

In an opinion piece published Thursday in Le Figaro, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for stronger cooperation with France, particularly in key areas such as AI, nuclear energy, hydrogen technologies and space.

"In an increasingly fragmented and uncertain international environment, partnerships between democratic nations that share common values are no longer merely desirable but are becoming strategically essential," Lee wrote.

Like other Asian economies, South Korea relies heavily on energy imports, including through the Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure has driven up energy prices and rattled the global economy.

The war has already prompted Seoul to impose a fuel price cap to ease pressure on its energy supply, the first such measure since 1997.

Macron's two-day itinerary includes a summit with Lee, a visit to the war memorial to pay tribute to French soldiers who fought in the Korean War, as well as an economic forum and a dinner with K-pop stars and South Korean cineastes.

K.Abe--JT