Lee calls for efforts to advance S. Korea-Germany ties to 'new level'

President Lee Jae Myung, right, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. Yonhap

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held bilateral talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in France on Tuesday, calling for efforts to advance their countries' bilateral relations to an unprecedented level.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, as Lee attended the event for the second consecutive year as the leader of an invited country.

"I think South Korea and Germany are countries that could cooperate in many fields and create synergy through cooperation," Lee said, opening the talks.

"I hope that South Korea and Germany will work together to advance (their relations) to a new and different level," the South Korean president said.

The German chancellor called bilateral relations "pretty good" and said South Korea is highly regarded in Germany.

"The cooperation is on a very high level. So I am very much looking forward to my visit to your country by the end of October," Merz said, referring to his planned visit to South Korea.