President Lee Jae Myung to Meet German Chancellor Merz Today; Talks to Focus on High-Tech Industries, Defense Cooperation

Merz's First Official Visit to South Korea
Third Summit at Cheong Wa Dae
Cooperation to Expand into Future Industries and Security
52 South Korean and German Business Leaders to Attend Dinner

President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the 29th to discuss stabilizing supply chains for high-tech industries such as semiconductors, batteries and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as expanding cooperation in defense and the defense industry. The focus is expected to be on broadening cooperation with Germany, South Korea's largest trading partner in Europe, to include future industries and security. The two leaders will also attend an official dinner with leading companies from both countries, with plans to extend summit diplomacy into private-sector economic cooperation.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold bilateral talks at the G7 summit venue in Evian-les-Bains, France, on the 16th (local time). June 17, 2026. Yonhap News

Kang Yu-jeong, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing on the 29th that President Lee would hold his third summit with Chancellor Merz at Cheong Wa Dae that afternoon, followed by a joint press statement and an official dinner. The visit is Chancellor Merz's first to South Korea since taking office and the first bilateral visit by a German chancellor in three years. The two leaders will meet again about four months after the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France last June.

Key agenda items at the talks will include stabilizing supply chains and cooperating on advanced technologies in core industries such as semiconductors, batteries and AI, as well as expanding industrial cooperation in renewable energy and power grids. The leaders will discuss improving the institutional environment to support businesses in both countries, exploring opportunities and institutional foundations for cooperation in defense and the defense industry, and coordinating on regional developments and global issues. The presidential office expressed hope that the meeting would help turn new challenges into opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation amid rapidly changing international security and economic conditions.

The official dinner that day has been prepared on a scale comparable to a state banquet. More than 60 people, including members of the German economic delegation and business leaders from South Korea, have been invited. The guest list includes 52 business representatives: 23 from South Korea and 29 from Germany. South Korea will be represented by Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group; POSCO Chairman Jang In-hwa; Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon; HL Group Chairman Chung Mong-won; LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-myung; and Samsung SDI CEO Choi Joo-sun, among others. The German attendees will include Siemens CEO Roland Busch, BASF CEO Markus Kamieth, ZEISS CEO Andreas Pecher, and Diehl Defence owner Markus Diehl.

The dinner menu will combine the culinary traditions of both countries. It will feature a shredded-potato pancake inspired by a traditional potato dish from Chancellor Merz's home region of Sauerland, grilled flatfish with gochujang sauce, and Jeju pork grilled with soy sauce in the royal court style. Before the meal, guests will be served black sesame, red yeast rice and sweet pumpkin chips in the colors of the German flag. President Lee plans to give Chancellor Merz, who enjoys outdoor activities, a camping and hiking set from a Korean brand as a gift.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.