The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks later in the day, followed by a joint press announcement and an official dinner. They are expected to discuss ways to boost trade and investment, with a particular focus on cooperation in batteries, semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as closer ties in defense and arms production. Regional security and major international issues will also be on the agenda.
It will be their third meeting, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg last November and the G7 summit in France in June.
Merz's visit to Seoul also marks the first official visit by a German chancellor to South Korea in three years and his first since taking office in May last year.
He is in Seoul to attend the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) which kicks off its two-day run in southern Seoul on Thursday. The annual conference brings together business leaders and government officials to explore economic opportunities between Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. South Korea is hosting the gathering for the first time since 2007.
Germany is South Korea's largest trading partner in Europe, with about 850 South Korean businesses operating there. With both countries boasting strong manufacturing sectors, the summit is expected to explore ways to deepen bilateral ties and adapt to shifts in global technology and supply chains.
"We expect the summit to serve as an opportunity to further advance bilateral relations in a strategic and future-oriented direction," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written press briefing last week.
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