Asienreise: Merz in Japan und Südkorea: Der Kanzler besucht die Gewinner des KI-Booms

Tokyo - Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is set to visit Japan and South Korea this week, highlighting the countries' leading positions in the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Although Japan and South Korea lack KI champions of their own, their semiconductor chips, manufacturing facilities, and specialized chemicals are crucial for global computing centers. The German Chancellor's trip begins in Singapore on Monday, followed by visits to Japan and South Korea, the continent's most significant export markets for Germany.

Deutsche firms are drawn to the two nations for three primary reasons: partnerships in the chip industry, alternative sources for pre-production components beyond China, and collaborative partners for future technologies. South Korea has particularly profited from the AI boom, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raising its growth forecast from 2.6 to 3.3 percent in mid-October.

This surge is driven by the memory chip exports of industry leaders Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which are propelling the entire economy beyond expectations.

In contrast, Japan's prospects have only seen a slight increase of 0.7 percent in the IMF's projections, less than half of Germany's growth forecast. However, the figures mask a troubling reality: Japan's population is declining rapidly. According to the 2025 census, Japan's population stood at 123 million, a decrease of 3.1 million compared to five years prior. The nation loses more than 600,000 people annually, a figure roughly equivalent to the population of Düsseldorf.