President Lee Holds South Korea-Germany Summit Talks: "Establishing an Enhanced Strategic Partnership Between the Two Countries"

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Makes Official Visit to South Korea
Lee: "Both Countries Are Global Manufacturing Powerhouses and Key Partners in Cooperation"
Merz: "I Invite You to Visit Germany Next Fall"

President Lee Jae-myung said on the 29th that he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had agreed to "establish an enhanced strategic partnership between our two countries based on trust and cooperation rooted in deep ties."

President Lee made the remarks after holding summit talks at Cheong Wa Dae with Chancellor Merz, who was visiting South Korea on an official visit. "As global manufacturing powerhouses, both our countries are key partners in cooperation to build stable supply chains and secure new engines of growth," he said.

It has been three years since a German chancellor last visited South Korea for a bilateral visit. The two leaders previously met at the G7 summit in France last June.

President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of an expanded summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 29, 2026. Yonhap News.

President Lee stressed, "As you noted, Prime Minister, cooperation between South Korea and Germany, which share common values, is more important than ever at a time when uncertainty in the international situation is growing. Our two countries have steadily strengthened friendly and cooperative ties over more than 140 years since establishing diplomatic relations."

He added, "I hope today's talks will be a meaningful occasion to achieve concrete results in various areas, including security, defense, advanced science and technology, economic security, and energy, and to pool our wisdom for peace and prosperity in the international community."

In response, Chancellor Merz said, "I am very pleased that we can build an enhanced strategic partnership," adding, "Cooperation between our two countries has become particularly important not only in the economy but also in politics, and more so than ever before."

Chancellor Merz also told President Lee, "I would like to invite you to Germany. I would like to invite you to the digital summit to be held next autumn. I think it would be very meaningful if you could come to Germany in person so that we could hold a summit together."

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