Lee-Germany summit

SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung was set Thursday to hold a summit with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Seoul to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries.

The trip marks Merz's first visit to South Korea since taking office and the first visit by a German chancellor to the country in three years.

Lee and Merz are scheduled to hold a summit at Cheong Wa Dae later in the day, followed by a joint press statement and an official dinner, according to Seoul's presidential office.

During the talks, the two leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation in future industries, such as batteries, semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as defense and arms industry cooperation, and regional and international issues.

"The visit is expected to help advance bilateral ties in a more strategic and forward-looking direction," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said earlier.

Merz will also attend the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul during his two-day visit.

The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France in June. Thursday's summit will be their third meeting since Merz took office.

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