President Moon Jae-in (fifth from left), on a state visit to France, talks with CEO of French gas company Air Liquide Benoit Potier (third from left) at the hydrogen fuel-cell car event in Alma Square, Paris on Oct. 14.

President Moon Jae-in (fifth from left), on a state visit to France, talks with CEO of French gas company Air Liquide Benoit Potier (third from left) at the hydrogen fuel-cell car event in Alma Square, Paris on Oct. 14.

By Kim Young Shin
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

President Moon Jae-in began the official schedule of his nine-day trip to Europe in Paris on Oct. 13 by meeting local Korean residents there.

At the Maison de la Mutualite conference center in Paris, the President spoke about the close ties between Korea and France in front of some 220 Korean-French citizens and French Korean War Veterans. He urged his audience to support peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“I am confident that peace on the Korean Peninsula will soon be before us,” said President Moon. “The special support from France, the country of liberty, equality and fraternity, would give me great strength.”

Here Moon also shared his memory of speaking to 150,000 North Koreans at the May Day Stadium in Pyeongyang in September. “It was actually a very tense speech. I had to announce the complete denuclearization, win positive response from Pyeongyang citizens as well as the people watching the scene from across the border. However, North Korea left it to me without any conditions,” said Moon. “It means that inter-Korean relations have developed that far very quickly and such trust has been built.”

President Moon Jae-in greets the local Korean residents in France at the Maison de la Mutualite conference center in Paris on Oct. 13.

President Moon Jae-in greets the local Korean residents in France at the Maison de la Mutualite conference center in Paris on Oct. 13.

On his second day in France on Oct. 14, President Moon visited a hydrogen fuel-cell car event in Alma Square, Paris, and met with authorities from the hydrogen-powered vehicle industry, one of the new businesses Korea and France cooperate in.

The president test rode Hyundai’s Nexo, the first Korean fuel-cell car sold in Paris, to the hydrogen station. There he also watched actual drivers recharging their cars. Currently, there are about 60 Hyundai Tucson hydrogen fuel-cell taxis in Paris.

President Moon asked if the Paris citizens are comfortable about the hydrogen station in the center of the city and how safe the facility is. “It has been three years since the station has opened and there hasn’t been any complaint by citizens about it,” said the CEO of the French gas company Air Liquide Benoit Potier. “There has been no accident related to the station, either.”

The president expressed his interest on the hydrogen-powered vehicles, asking what advantages fuel-cells have over internal combustion engines and how far it can travel after a 5-minute refueling. “Tucsan travels 400 kilometers after a 5 minute charge and Nexo, 600 kilometers,” said Hyundai Motors President Jeong Jin-Haeng.

President Moon encouraged the industry officials at the event by saying, The Korean Government supports hydrogen-powered vehicles and is making an effort to broaden the ecosystem of the hydrogen economy.”

President Moon Jae-in, on his state visit to France, waves his hand while test riding Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel-cell car Nexo in Paris on Oct. 14.

President Moon Jae-in, on his state visit to France, waves his hand while test riding Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel-cell car Nexo in Paris on Oct. 14.

ysk1111@korea.kr