South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated on October 29 that "the increasing uncertainty in international affairs makes cooperation between South Korea and Germany, which share common values, more important than ever."
During his opening remarks at a summit with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Blue House, President Lee announced the establishment of an "enhanced strategic partnership" between the two countries.
He emphasized that both nations are key partners in building stable supply chains and securing new growth engines as global manufacturing powerhouses.
President Lee recalled meaningful discussions with Chancellor Merz at last year's G20 summit and this year's G7 summit regarding bilateral relations and international issues. He highlighted the deep ties developed over more than 140 years of diplomatic relations as a foundation for strengthening the partnership.
"I hope today's meeting will yield concrete results in various fields such as security, defense, advanced science and technology, economic security, and energy, and that we can gather wisdom for peace and prosperity in the international community," he said.
In response, Chancellor Merz expressed gratitude for the invitation and noted that cooperation between the two countries has become increasingly important not only in the economic sphere but also in politics. He stated, "We have cooperated closely for decades, and now we want to elevate this to a new level."
Chancellor Merz also invited President Lee to visit Germany, expressing a desire to invite him to a digital summit scheduled for next fall in Berlin.
He mentioned that the large economic delegation accompanying him demonstrates German companies' interest in the South Korean economy. Chancellor Merz is set to declare the opening of the Asia-Pacific Business Conference (APK) on October 30, hoping it will strengthen and concretize cooperation between businesses from both countries.
He added, "This will be a good opportunity to expand cooperation in future key technology areas such as semiconductors and quantum computing."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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