Korea, Germany agree to upgrade bilateral ties to enhanced strategic partnership during summit

President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed Thursday in Seoul to upgrade Korea-Germany ties to an enhanced strategic partnership and signed agreements on defense, technology, energy and trade. The agreements include a framework for economic and high-tech cooperation, an amendment to their double taxation treaty, and plans to strengthen their Energy Partnership. The leaders also pledged to expand defense-industry cooperation and pursue an agreement on classified military information and joint drills. Merz warned that North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine and possible Russian military support for Pyongyang link European and Korean security.

The economic and high-tech framework covers the automotive sector, batteries, industrial artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, advanced energy systems and robotics.

The amended Korea-Germany Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement implements treaty-related measures under the OECD-G20 project on base erosion and profit shifting.

The two countries said they would modernize their Energy Partnership in line with shared decarbonization goals and changing energy needs.

More than 60 business leaders from the two countries attended the state dinner following the summit.

Merz’s visit was his first to Korea since taking office and the first bilateral visit by a German chancellor in three years.

Published Oct 29, 2026 8:02 pm KST

Merz links Pyongyang's role in Ukraine to European security

President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shake hands with each other during a bilateral summit in the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed Thursday to elevate bilateral ties to an “enhanced strategic partnership,” signing a series of agreements spanning defense, technology, energy and trade during Merz’s state visit to Seoul.

“Building on this deep trust and cooperation, Chancellor Merz and I have agreed to establish an ‘enhanced strategic partnership’ between the two countries,” Lee said during a joint press conference at Cheong Wa Dae.

“Germany is the Republic of Korea’s largest trading partner in Europe ... The joint statement adopted today reflects our firm and clear commitment to deepening cooperation across a wide range of areas, including politics, security, the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, while strengthening future-oriented cooperation and strategic coordination.”

The upgrade was made amid intensifying global challenges, the joint statement said.

Among the agreements signed, the two countries adopted a Joint Declaration of Intent on a Framework for an Economic and High-tech Partnership, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, industry, and future technologies — including the automotive sector, batteries, industrial artificial intelligence (AI), smart manufacturing, advanced energy systems and robotics.

They also signed the Protocol Amending the Korea-Germany Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, implementing treaty-related measures under the OECD-G20 project on base erosion and profit shifting. Seoul and Berlin additionally reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and modernizing their Energy Partnership in line with shared decarbonization goals and evolving energy needs.

On defense, both sides pledged to expand industrial cooperation, and proceed with signing an agreement for sharing classified military information and conducting joint military drills.

"Building on both countries’ advanced defense technologies and industrial capabilities, we will actively explore opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between our defense companies," Lee said, noting Korean defense firms' "keen interest in forming long-term partnerships, including joint ventures and joint development projects" with Germany, the world’s third-largest economy and Europe’s largest.

This is Merz’s first visit to Korea since taking office and the first bilateral visit by a German chancellor in three years. The two leaders met about four months after their bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France last June.

Merz pointed to North Korean troops fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war and warned that Moscow could supply advanced military assets to Pyongyang in return, arguing that the situation in Ukraine is inextricably linked with Korean and European security.

“Korea’s security is directly linked to Europe’s security and European security is equally intertwined with Korea’s,” Merz said through a Korean interpreter.

“If North Korean soldiers from Pyongyang fight in the Donbas region against Ukrainian forces, European freedom itself is put at risk. Furthermore, if Moscow supplies advanced military assets or weaponry to Pyongyang in return, the repercussions will extend far beyond Europe.”

He added, “We all share a common goal: an end to war accompanied by a just and lasting peace — and a Europe living in that peace.”

The summit was followed by a state dinner attended by more than 60 business leaders from both countries. Korean attendees included Korea International Trade Association Chairman Yoon Jin-sik, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa, Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon and HL Group Chairman Chung Mong-won.

The German delegation included Siemens CEO Roland Busch, who also chairs the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, Diehl Defence owner Markus Diehl and Mahle CEO Arnd Franz.

韩国总统李在明和德国总理弗里德里希·默茨周四在首尔达成一致，将韩德关系提升为加强型战略伙伴关系，并签署了涵盖国防、科技、能源和贸易等领域的协议。这些协议包括经济和高科技合作框架、对两国避免双重征税协定的修订，以及加强能源伙伴关系的计划。两国领导人还承诺扩大国防工业合作，并就机密军事信息和联合演习达成协议。默茨警告说，朝鲜军队在乌克兰的战斗以及俄罗斯可能对平壤提供的军事支持，都与欧洲和朝鲜半岛的安全息息相关。

经济和高科技框架涵盖汽车行业、电池、工业人工智能、智能制造、先进能源系统和机器人技术。

修订后的韩德避免双重征税协定落实了经合组织-二十国集团关于税基侵蚀和利润转移项目的相关条约措施。

两国表示将根据共同的脱碳目标和不断变化的能源需求，对能源伙伴关系进行现代化改造。

峰会结束后，两国60多位商界领袖出席了国宴。

这是梅尔茨就任总理以来首次访问韩国，也是三年来德国总理首次对韩国进行双边访问。

发布于2026年10月29日晚上8:02（韩国标准时间）

默茨将平壤在乌克兰扮演的角色与欧洲安全联系起来

韩国总统李在明与德国总理弗里德里希·默茨周四在首尔青瓦台总统府举行双边峰会，期间握手致意。（韩联社）

韩国总统李在明和德国总理弗里德里希·默茨周四同意将双边关系提升为“加强型战略伙伴关系”，并在默茨对首尔进行国事访问期间签署了一系列涵盖国防、技术、能源和贸易领域的协议。

李在青瓦台举行的联合新闻发布会上表示：“基于这种深厚的信任与合作，我和默茨总理已同意在两国之间建立‘加强型战略伙伴关系’。”

“德国是韩国在欧洲最大的贸易伙伴……今天通过的联合声明体现了我们坚定而明确的承诺，即深化在政治、安全、经济、文化和人文交流等广泛领域的合作，同时加强面向未来的合作和战略协调。”

联合声明称，此次升级是在全球挑战日益加剧的背景下进行的。

在签署的协议中，两国通过了《关于经济和高科技伙伴关系框架的联合意向声明》，旨在加强双边在贸易、工业和未来技术领域的合作，包括汽车行业、电池、工业人工智能 (AI)、智能制造、先进能源系统和机器人技术。

双方还签署了《修订韩德避免双重征税协定议定书》，落实经合组织-二十国集团关于税基侵蚀和利润转移项目的相关条约措施。首尔和柏林还重申，将致力于加强和完善双方的能源伙伴关系，以符合共同的脱碳目标和不断变化的能源需求。

在国防领域，双方承诺扩大产业合作，并着手签署共享机密军事信息和进行联合军事演习的协议。

李表示：“我们将依托两国先进的国防技术和工业能力，积极探索两国国防企业间互利合作的机会。”他还指出，韩国国防企业“热切希望与世界第三大经济体、欧洲最大经济体德国建立长期合作伙伴关系，包括合资企业和联合开发项目”。

这是默茨就任总理以来首次访问韩国，也是三年来德国总理首次对韩国进行双边访问。两位领导人在去年6月法国七国集团峰会期间举行双边会谈约四个月后再次会面。

梅尔茨指出朝鲜军队正在俄乌战争中作战，并警告说，莫斯科可能会向平壤提供先进的军事装备作为回报，他认为乌克兰局势与朝鲜半岛和欧洲的安全密不可分。

“韩国的安全与欧洲的安全直接相关，欧洲的安全也与韩国的安全息息相关，”梅尔茨通过韩语翻译说道。

“如果朝鲜平壤士兵在顿巴斯地区与乌克兰军队交战，欧洲的自由本身将受到威胁。此外，如果莫斯科作为回报向平壤提供先进的军事装备或武器，其影响将远远超出欧洲。”

他补充道：“我们都有一个共同的目标：结束战争，实现公正持久的和平，让欧洲生活在和平之中。”

峰会结束后举行了国宴，两国60多位商界领袖出席了晚宴。韩国方面出席的有韩国国际贸易协会会长尹镇植、现代汽车集团执行会长郑义宣、浦项制铁集团会长张仁和、晓星集团会长赵显俊和HL集团会长郑梦源。

德国代表团成员包括西门子首席执行官罗兰·布施（同时也是德国商业亚太委员会主席）、迪尔防务公司老板马库斯·迪尔和马勒公司首席执行官阿恩德·弗朗茨。