Relationship dossier
Germany
South Korea
Relationship assessment
A durable strategic partnership with regular government consultations and cooperation across several policy areas.
Germany toward South Korea
+45Germany established a strategic partnership with South Korea and has used regular government consultations to pursue cooperation on economic, climate and security issues. German-South Korean engagement has also included coordination on international affairs.
South Korea toward Germany
+45South Korea participates in the strategic partnership with Germany and regular bilateral government consultations, pursuing cooperation on economic, climate and security issues. The two governments have also coordinated on international affairs.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship is structured around a long-running strategic partnership and recurring government consultations, with cooperation spanning economic, climate and security issues. This provides a substantial basis for cooperation, though the partnership is not characterized by exceptional integration.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Germany and South Korea maintain a durable strategic partnership, supported by regular government consultations and cooperation on economic, climate and security issues. Their relationship has developed through bilateral initiatives as well as coordination on international affairs.
Key developments
Germany and South Korea established a strategic partnership.
The two governments held high-level consultations and discussed expanding cooperation during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to South Korea.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of recent bilateral cooperation initiatives are unclear.
- The extent of security cooperation beyond high-level coordination is uncertain.