German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (C) and South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook (2nd L) attend the opening session of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul on October 30, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)