김홍균 한국 외교부 차관이 3월 10일 서울에서 독일 연방 외무부의 프랭크 하트만 아시아 태평양 담당 국장을 만나다.

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South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun (right) shakes hands with Frank Hartmann, director general for Asia and the Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office (center) with German Ambassador to South Korea Georg Wilfried Schmidt attending at a meeting in Seoul on March 10. (German Embassy in Seoul)

Germany has a strong focus on the Indo-Pacific under the new government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said Frank Hartmann, Director-General for Asia and the Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office in an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday.

Hartmann was in Seoul to attend the Korea-Germany Indo-Pacific Dialogue on March 10, where both countries discussed measures for regional peace and stability. The meeting, held at South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was attended by Eui-hae Cecilia Chung, South Korea’s Special Representative for the Indo-Pacific, and Hartmann. He also met South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun in a separate meeting alongside German Ambassador Georg Schmidt.

Germany and South Korea see each other as key Indo-Pacific security partners, emphasizing defense, technology and rules-based order. Germany’s Indo-Pacific Policy and EU engagement align with South Korea’s strategy, which also strengthens ties with Germany, France and the UK. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s participation in the NATO Summit and the ROK Mission to NATO underscore South Korea’s global security commitment. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

“I'm quite confident that the commitment of the new German government under Friedrich Merz will remain a strong focus on the Indo-Pacific,” Hartmann told The Korea Herald when asked about Germany's approach to the Indo-Pacific.

“Mr. Merz has made it very clear that the Indo-Pacific, including the partnership with Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, will remain a very important focus of the German government,” according to Hartmann.

Highlighting Germany’s deepening security engagement in the region, Hartmann emphasized that Berlin's recent decisions, such as joining the United Nations Command and becoming a member of the Multinational Security Mechanism Team, will remain unchanged under the new administration.

“The decision we took in Korea to join the UNC and also become a member of the MSMT will, of course, remain in place. Korea will continue to be a strong partner for Germany, even under the new German administration,” Hartmann affirmed.

MSMT refers to the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team of 11 countries, including South Korea, the US, Japan and key Western nations, to ensure accurate and continuous monitoring of sanctions enforcement against North Korea.

Speaking about his discussions with South Korean officials, Hartmann noted that both sides engaged in an in-depth dialogue on Indo-Pacific policies, covering topics such as China, North Korea, Russia, ASEAN and Pacific Island nations.

“We discovered that the German Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korean Indo-Pacific strategy are very much alike. Both countries strongly believe in a rules-based international order grounded in international law,” he said.

“We want to contribute to a stable, peaceful, and rule-based security and economic development in Asia," he said.

“ I see many commonalities between Korea and Germany,” he underlined.

Asked about South Korea’s concerns over potential US tariffs under the second Trump administration, Hartmann acknowledged the risks and emphasized the importance of maintaining a fair trade system.

“Trade barriers are being set up by individual nations. We believe in an international trade order based on the WTO, but we want to avoid a trade war,” he said.

Reports suggest Trump plans 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, which will hit Canada hard. Auto tariffs will be raised on April 2, affecting Japan, South Korea, Germany, Mexico and Canada. “Reciprocal” tariffs and scrutiny of non-tariff barriers are to follow, with India, Argentina, South Korea and Brazil facing the toughest measures, according to experts.

“A trade war between the United States and Europe, or between the United States and China, would have a domino effect, distorting global trade flows to the disadvantage of other countries,” Hartmann anticipated.

Germany, he noted, is working closely with its American counterparts to avoid such disruptions.

However, Hartmann also warned that if trade tensions escalate, the European Union may be forced to take countermeasures.

“If it is not avoidable, the European Union is willing to take countermeasures. But we need to sit down at the negotiating table to reciprocally reduce the tariffs being introduced,” he reiterated.

“A trade war is not the answer for international economic relations. Germany, Korea, and other partners must work together to prevent it,” according to Hartmann.

Asked about Japan’s increasing focus on economic security and the possibility of a trilateral economic security framework involving Germany, Japan and Korea, Hartmann said Germany already has separate bilateral discussions on the matter.

“We are discussing economic security with the Korean government, and we are also in talks with the Japanese government, particularly concerning China,” he noted.

“Germany is also affected by US expectations to strengthen protective measures on economic security. We are open to discussing this within a broader regional framework, and it remains a crucial topic in our bilateral conversations,” he said.

Both Germany and South Korea reaffirmed their shared understanding that stability in the Indo-Pacific is vital not only for the region but also for global peace and prosperity.

Their discussions at the Indo-Pacific Dialogue covered key security challenges and explored new areas for cooperation in climate change, environmental protection and cybersecurity.

sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com

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