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| President Park Geun-hye places flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks at a makeshift memorial outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, Monday. Park is in the French capital to attend a U.N. conference on climate change, known as COP21. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye visited the Bataclan theater in Paris, Monday, to pay respects to the victims of terrorist attacks in the French capital that left 130 people dead and more than 360 wounded.
Park placed white chrysanthemums in front of the theater and paid silent tribute to those who were killed by the Islamic State (IS) that carried out six separate terrorist attacks on Nov. 13 across Paris.
The theater was the deadliest site with 89 killed, where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers before blowing themselves up with suicide bombs.
"I offer condolences to the victims of the terror attack, and we will always be with France," Park told French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin, who accompanied the President to the site.
In response, Pellerin expressed gratitude to Park for visiting the scene and showing strong solidarity with France.
Park is in Paris to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the 21st Conference of Parties.
Ahead of Park's visit to the theater, world leaders attending the climate conference also honored the attack victims.
On early Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama made an unannounced stop at the theater, accompanied by French President Francois Hollande, right after he landed in Paris. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also paid tribute to the victims.
Later, Park visited the Decorative Arts Museum showcasing the Korea Now exhibition of 1,500 pieces of Korean arts, crafts and designs by 150 artists, artisans, and fashion and graphic designers ― an event to celebrate next year's 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The exhibit is also displaying the Korean traditional attire, or "hanbok," that Park wore during her inauguration in 2013.
The exhibition that kicked off on Sept. 19 is scheduled to run through Jan. 3, 2016 ― the first time for the museum to hold such a long-term display on one country's arts and crafts, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
"I hope that the exhibition will play a role in boosting cultural exchanges between the two countries," Park said.
She also hoped that Korean artwork can comfort the French people who were devastated by the terrorist attacks.
