Mr. Jean-Vincent Place, the Vice Secretary General of the French Green Party and Vice President of the Ile-de-France Regional Council, will visit Korea from October 27 to November 2.

Mr. Place, a Korean adoptee, was elected to the French Senate in September 2011, the first ethnic Korean to rise so high in French politics. The vice secretary general of the Green Party, the second-largest opposition party, was elected to represent Essonne, near Paris. He will start a six-year term in the Senate in the session beginning Oct. 1.

The Green Party has expressed their great interests in the eco-friendly theme of the The International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012. The ile-de-France region decided to participate in the 2012 Yeosu Expo with the support of the Green Party. He has also revealed his strong ambitions to undertake the presidency of the France - Korea Amity Association in order to contribute to the development of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Mr. Place’s visit will certainly boost the mutual understanding and encourage collaborative innovations between Korea and France.

During his stay in Korea, Mr. Jean-Vincent Place will visit the National Assembly, Korea Green Foundation, French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the organizing committee of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, and Korean Air. Furthermore, he will have an opportunity to meet the Korean media such as Korean Broadcasting System and TV Chosun, and visit the Gyeongbok Palace, the Cheongwadae Sarangchae Exhibition & Museum, Cheonggye Stream, Insa-dong, N Seoul Tower, Paju Heyri Art Village, National Museum of Korea and watch the Korean Traditional performance ‘Miso’ to experience various aspects of Korean society, culture, and history.