President Lee Jae-myung Holds Summit with German Chancellor Merz… Discussing Cooperation in Future Industries and Defense

On October 29, 2026, President Lee Jae-myung held a summit meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Presidential Office in Seoul. Scheduled in line with Chancellor Merz's official visit to Korea, the summit began at 5:00 PM and included plans for a joint press announcement and an official dinner ¹, ². Chancellor Merz visited Korea for two days, from the 29th to the 30th, to attend the 19th German Asia-Pacific Business Conference (APK) held in Seoul ¹, ³.

Third Summit Meeting, Marking an Opportunity to Deepen Bilateral Relations

This summit marks the third Korea-Germany leaders' summit since Chancellor Merz took office. The two leaders previously met and held talks on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit last November and the Group of Seven (G7) summit in June this year ³, ¹. This is the first time the two leaders have met in person in about four months, and it is drawing attention as the first bilateral official visit to Korea by a German chancellor in three years ³.

Regarding the visit, President Lee Jae-myung expressed his welcome through his X (formerly Twitter) channel, stating, "Germany is a precious partner" ⁴. President Lee emphasized, "The Republic of Korea and Germany have cooperated in various fields, including economy, industry, and science and technology, based on long-standing friendship and trust," adding, "I hope this visit will be an opportunity to open a future of shared prosperity and better days together" ⁴.

Focus on Battery, Semiconductor, AI, and Defense Industry Cooperation

The key agenda items for the summit include economic cooperation in trade and investment; cooperation in future industries such as batteries, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI); defense and defense industry cooperation; expansion of people-to-people exchanges; and regional developments and international issues ¹, ³. Presidential Senior Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated, "We expect this summit to serve as an opportunity for bilateral relations to take another leap forward in a strategic and future-oriented direction" ³.

In particular, given that Germany is a global manufacturing powerhouse, it is expected that plans for bilateral industrial cooperation will be discussed in depth ¹. According to related reports, the two leaders are also said to have shared the view that stability in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, needs to be restored swiftly ¹.

Germany, South Korea's Largest Trading Partner in Europe

The reason economic cooperation was given significant weight on the agenda for this summit is the depth of economic ties between the two countries. As South Korea's largest trading partner in Europe, Germany holds considerable strategic value ³. Currently, about 850 Korean companies have entered the German market, and major firms are operating regional headquarters locally to expand their cooperation networks ³.

Considering the characteristics of this business ecosystem, Chancellor Merz's visit and the summit are assessed to be a substantive platform for further deepening existing trade and industrial cooperation and for discussing the expansion of global cooperation ³.

Outlook for Future Cooperation

At this Korea-Germany summit, both sides are expected to coordinate specific consultations to expand trade and investment, as well as measures to strengthen cooperation in future industries. Cooperation in key future industries such as semiconductors, AI, and defense strongly reflects the will to deepen bilateral ties ³.

Attention is focused on whether this summit and the joint press announcement, made possible by Chancellor Merz's visit, will connect both countries' future-oriented relationship with tangible cooperation outcomes, going beyond a first bilateral visit in three years.