SEOUL — South Korea and Germany set out an enhanced security partnership on Thursday after a summit in Seoul between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, arguing that growing cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang showed that European and Asian security were increasingly intertwined, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters

The two countries agreed to upgrade their bilateral ties to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, according to a joint statement released by the South Korean presidential office and reported by Yonhap. The statement said both sides would significantly intensify bilateral and multilateral cooperation as global risks and challenges grow, and would deepen security and defence cooperation through regular military exchanges, training cooperation and information exchanges.

Source: Yonhap

Classified-information pact at the centre

Both countries reiterated their commitment to concluding a bilateral agreement on the protection of classified military information, and to continuing bilateral Security Policy Staff Talks between their defence ministries on security policy and defence-industry cooperation, Yonhap reported. Lee said Korean defence companies have great interest in long-term partnerships with Germany, including joint ventures and joint development projects, Reuters reported.

Merz said the deployment of North Korean troops to fight against Ukraine underlined how conflicts were no longer confined to one region. “The world has truly become small – even in times of war,” Merz said, according to Reuters. He is due to visit the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone dividing the two Koreas on Friday.

10,000+North Korean troops sent to fight alongside Russia since 2024, according to South Korea's intelligence agency (Reuters)
3rdBilateral summit between Lee Jae Myung and Friedrich Merz (Yonhap)
140 yearsApproximate span of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Germany (Yonhap)

Since 2024, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces, as well as weapons to replenish Moscow's armoury, South Korea's intelligence agency has said, according to Reuters. Western governments have warned that North Korea could gain advanced military technology in return for its support. The two leaders also exchanged views on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the rules-based free trade order and the climate crisis, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported, and Lee sought Germany's support for South Korean firms to receive equal treatment under the European Union's Industrial Accelerator Act.

Source: Korea JoongAng Daily

South Korea is the final stop on Merz's week-long trip to Asia, which has also taken him to Singapore and Japan. During the tour he has sought to strengthen defence ties and promote closer economic cooperation among like-minded countries as a counterweight to U.S. tariff policies and China's state-backed industrial expansion, Reuters reported. No deployment or arms deal was announced on Thursday; the commitment made in Seoul was to conclude the classified-information agreement and expand the defence dialogue.