Representatives from 400 companies from Germany and Asia-Pacific converge in Seoul
“I hope that we can extend this cooperation beyond Korea and Germany to our partners across the Asia Pacific region gathered here. Korea will continue working with Germany and Asia Pacific partners to foster open, stable and mutually beneficial economic relations.”
The remarks, delivered by Korea’s Minister for Trade Park Jung-sung during the Korea Night held at the Westin Seoul Parnas on Friday, the second evening of the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business, or APK 2026, reiterated what the event aimed to achieve.
The Korea Night featured two performances: one involving traditional Korean drumming and the other boasting the Korean martial art of taekwondo. “Oohs and ahhs” filled the venue each time the Taekwondo practitioners performed flips and high jumps to break boards.
“We have already covered a lot of ground in the panels today, in the B2B meetings and in the political talks,” Stefan Rouenhoff, parliamentary state secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said during the event.
“But as we know, the best ideas, the most lasting cooperation and the most enduring friendships don’t start with a lecture. They come right here. Over a good conversation and excellent food.”
The Korea Night, organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in cooperation with APK 2026, drew 500 participants representing 120 companies from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region.
Youn Byeng-dong, a Seoul National University professor, presented the Korean government's initiative for manufacturing artificial intelligence transformation, or M.AX, outlining a vision for full-stack AI factories that connect data collection, analysis, decision-making and physical execution.
"We have a unique opportunity to shape the future of manufacturing AI so that we can take global leadership in the manufacturing industry. Let's make it happen," he told the Korea Night participants.
Besides the Korea Night, this year’s APK was filled with a variety of networking events, including a welcome reception by Deutsche Bank at the Shilla Seoul on Thursday evening, two networking gatherings with coffee in between morning sessions on Friday and Saturday and a sundowner party following the official closing of the event on Saturday evening.
Alongside the macro-business and geopolitical issues covered throughout APK 2026, the three-day event also doubled down on startup ecosystems and their role in innovating AI.
A live business pitch session on Friday afternoon offered five startups — one each from India, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and China — a chance to showcase what their companies had to offer in the AI sector. The session was led by Rouenhoff and Anna Maria Braun, CEO of B.Braun, a multinational medical technology and pharmaceutical company.
Dzung Do Nguyen, CEO of Enfarm, a Vietnamese startup specializing in AI-enabled agriculture to empower smaller farmers, won the top award.
Saturday morning provided an opportunity for startups to bolster AI innovation and cross-border partnerships through a session that emphasized communication and cooperation over coffee.
This year’s APK, held from Thursday to Saturday at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, brought together 800 business leaders, policymakers and industry representatives from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region.
hwkan@heraldcorp.com
