Conference set for Oct. 29-31 in Seoul
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz among expected speakers
Herald Media Group will serve as the official domestic media partner for the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference (APK 2026).
The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) visited Herald Square in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Monday to sign a media partnership MOU with Herald Media Group for the successful staging of APK 2026.
Under the agreement, Herald Media Group will cover the event before, during and after the conference, and conduct interviews with key participants including senior corporate executives and keynote speakers. The group will also use its platforms — The Herald Business and The Korea Herald — to report on the conference's highlights and outcomes for both domestic and international audiences.
APK 2026 is co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), and the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad network (AHK), with KGCCI serving as the local co-host in Seoul. Launched in 1986, the APK is held every two years in major Asia-Pacific cities and is regarded as a leading high-level business platform for economic cooperation between Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. This will be only the second time the conference has been held in Seoul, 19 years after the city last hosted it in 2007.
The event will take place from Oct. 29 to 31 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Around 800 senior figures from business, government and academia across Germany and the Asia-Pacific region are expected to attend. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is among the headline speakers. Katherina Reiche, Germany's federal minister for economic affairs and energy, and Roland Busch, APA chairman and chief executive of Siemens, will serve as co-chairs of APK 2026.
This year's conference will examine key issues facing the global economy and industry, including geopolitical shifts, innovation, industrial AI, business resilience and sustainable growth. A particular focus will be placed on exploring new avenues for cooperation between Korean and German companies in sectors where both countries hold competitive strengths — among them AI, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and supply chains.
"APK 2026 is a meaningful occasion for Korean companies to connect directly with leading businesses and business leaders from Germany and across Europe, and to explore new opportunities for cooperation," said Choi Jin-young, chief executive of Herald Media Group. "As the official media partner, Herald Media Group will convey the diverse voices and business insights from the event to readers at home and abroad, while contributing to greater exchange and cooperation between Korean and German companies."
Marie Antonia von Schönburg, chief representative of KGCCI, said she was "very pleased" to have Herald Media Group on board as the official domestic media partner for APK 2026. "The return of APK to Seoul comes at a time of rapid change in the global economic and technological landscape, and will serve as an important opportunity for business leaders from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region to gather and explore new avenues for cooperation," she said. She added that she hoped the partnership would help bring the business insights and voices discussed at APK to readers not only in Korea but around the world.
Meanwhile, KGCCI, founded in 1981 with around 500 member companies, is the second-largest foreign chamber of commerce in Korea and the official representative of the German business community in the country. It is a member of the AHK global network, which connects more than 50,000 member companies through over 150 offices in 93 countries, and also supports bilateral government cooperation projects such as the Korea-Germany energy partnership.
pooh@heraldcorp.com
