Prime Minister Han hopes APK 2026 will open new growth path for Korean, German firms

Special dinner hosted by German, French chambers of commerce in Korea

Prime Minister Han, some 200 European business and government figures attend

APK 2026 scheduled for Oct. 29–31 in Seoul

Premier German business event for Asia-Pacific region

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook delivers a congratulatory address at the opening ceremony of a joint dinner hosted by the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook met with European business leaders operating in South Korea on Tuesday to discuss expanding investment and industrial cooperation between Korean and European companies.

The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) and the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) jointly hosted a special dinner at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, with Han as the guest of honor, the two chambers announced Wednesday.

The event was organized to strengthen direct communication between the South Korean government and European businesses and to discuss the foreign investment environment and on-the-ground regulatory issues. About 200 people attended, including executives from German, French and other European companies as well as government, diplomatic and business officials.

In a keynote address, Han described Korea's relationships with Germany, France and other EU member states as partnerships built on long-standing trust. "Korea and Germany, Korea and France, and the Republic of Korea with the many nations of the EU have been steadfast partners that have supported each other's economic and industrial development on the basis of longstanding trust," she said. "Korea and Germany, Korea and France are reliable partners that have supported free trade and a rules-based international order and shared the values of openness and innovation."

She added that the government would do its utmost to ensure that the investments and endeavors of German and French business leaders yield even greater results in South Korea.

Han also spoke about the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2026), set to be held in Seoul next month. "APK 2026, the largest Asia-Pacific event of the German business community, will also be held in Seoul," she said. "I hope it will serve as a valuable opportunity for Korean and German companies to open a path to greater growth through new investment and cooperation."

Launched in 1986 and held every two years in major Asia-Pacific cities, APK is regarded as the premier high-level business platform for economic cooperation between Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. This will be the second time Seoul has hosted the conference, 19 years after the city last did so in 2007. 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 global network of German chambers of commerce abroad (AHK), with the KGCCI serving as the local co-host in Seoul. The conference will run from Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and is expected to draw about 800 senior figures from business, government and academia in Germany and the Asia-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook (center) poses for a photo with German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt, EU Ambassador to Korea Hugo Astuto, French Chargé d'Affaires to Korea Philomène Robin Pierron, KGCCI President Park Hyun-nam, FKCCI President David-Pierre Jalicon, Foreign Investment Ombudsman Kim Du-sik, and other members of the diplomatic corps and chamber leadership at the joint special dinner co-hosted by the KGCCI and FKCCI at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [KGCCI]

KGCCI President Park Hyun-nam said in his opening remarks that South Korea had strengthened its competitiveness in global markets on the back of a solid industrial base, technological capability and capacity for innovation. "It is important to translate these strengths into sustained investment, innovation and the creation of quality jobs," he said.

He added that close communication and cooperation between companies, along with a stable business environment, form a critical foundation for driving new investment and innovation. "German companies have long grown alongside the Korean economy as partners, and I hope they will continue to contribute to Korea's sustained growth through investment, technology and innovation," he said.

Park also said APK 2026, to be held in Seoul next month, would bring together key figures from the Korean, German and Asia-Pacific business communities. "With the German chancellor's visit to Korea also anticipated, I hope many Korean business leaders will participate in APK 2026, engage directly with major figures from the German business community, and develop those connections into tangible business cooperation," he said.

FKCCI President David-Pierre Jalicon used his opening remarks to highlight the historical significance of this year's bilateral ties, noting that 2026 marks both the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France and the 40th anniversary of the FKCCI's founding. "Building on this long history of friendship and cooperation, the time has come to create new engines of mutual prosperity through bold investment and technological innovation," he said.

The FKCCI plans to hold a large-scale Korea-France symposium focused on innovation and technology at the French National Assembly in Paris next month. It also plans to establish Maison France by FKCCI, a combined business hub integrating chamber office space, a business center, a lounge and a French café, to serve as an on-site communication channel connecting promising companies and investors from both countries.

At the dinner, German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt, French Chargé d'Affaires Philomène Robin Pierron and EU Ambassador to Korea Hugo Astuto each delivered welcoming remarks emphasizing the importance of economic cooperation between Korea and Europe. Foreign Investment Ombudsman Kim Du-sik also spoke about South Korea's investment environment and the importance of cooperation to promote foreign investment.

A panel discussion followed, with Christoph Hammann, head of Merck Healthcare Korea, and Han Hyun-su, chief executive of Arkema Korea, exchanging views on the investment climate, regulatory reform and business challenges in South Korea on behalf of their respective companies. KGCCI Executive Director Marie Antonia von Schönburg and FKCCI Executive Director Sonja Chaillé Kim also took the stage to deliver closing remarks.

pooh@heraldcorp.com