The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Marie Antonia von Schönburg), will co-host the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2026) in Seoul from October 29–31, 2026, bringing together more than 800 leading business executives, policymakers and experts from Germany and across the Asia-Pacific region.
German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the conference. Katherina Reiche, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Roland Busch, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) and President & CEO of Siemens AG, will serve as conference co-chairs.
The flagship biennial event of German business in the Asia-Pacific region will take place at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, placing Korea at the center of high-level discussions on the future of German–Asia-Pacific economic cooperation. APK 2026 is jointly organized by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) and the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs), with KGCCI (AHK Korea) serving as the local co-host in Seoul.
“Korea is one of Germany’s key economic partners in Asia-Pacific and a global frontrunner in advanced manufacturing, technology and innovation,” said Marie Antonia von Schönburg, President and CEO of KGCCI. “Bringing APK 2026 to Seoul feels especially timely, given the many questions international businesses are navigating right now. We look forward to welcoming decision-makers from Germany, Korea and across the Asia-Pacific region to exchange views, build new connections and turn shared interests into concrete opportunities for cooperation.”
The conference will feature senior executives from some of Germany’s and Asia-Pacific’s leading companies. Confirmed speakers include Soo-yeon Choi, CEO of NAVER; Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon Technologies; Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank; Markus Kamieth, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF; Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group; Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler; Shashank Deshpande, CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim; and Taro Shimada, President & CEO of Toshiba, among others.
Against a backdrop of shifting global trade patterns, geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change, APK 2026 will focus on issues at the top of the international business agenda, including global power shifts and trade, industrial AI and manufacturing, resilient supply chains, raw materials and the circular economy, corporate financing amid geopolitical risk, industrial policy, and corporate strategies for resilience.
A dedicated Tech Dialogue on Industrial AI will explore the implications of AI for industry, while the AI Startup Award will put emerging technology companies and innovative solutions on the APK stage. Representing Korea will be ModigenceVision, winner of the Korea-Germany Connect: AI Startup Pitching Challenge 2026, hosted by KGCCI in July.
Korea’s strengths in semiconductors, batteries, advanced manufacturing and AI make it an important partner for German industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Hosting APK 2026 in Seoul will provide Korean companies with direct opportunities to engage with senior German business leaders, while giving German companies deeper insight into Korea’s innovation ecosystem and potential areas for future cooperation.