{
  "id": 17160493,
  "title": "Chancellor on Asia trip: Merz also promotes free trade network in South Korea",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/kanzler-auf-asienreise-merz-wirbt-auch-in-sudkorea-fur-freihandels",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-30T01:48:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/kanzler-auf-asienreise-merz-wirbt-auch-in-suedkorea-fuer-freihandels-netzwerk/100266033.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has concluded his five-day Asia trip by advocating for a global network for free trade based on international rules. At the Asia-Pacific Conference of the German Economy in Seoul, Merz emphasized the need for like-minded partners to come together in the face of a changing geopolitical landscape. He criticized unilateralism and autocratic power politics, warning that such practices threaten growth, prosperity, and security in entire regions. Merz proposed forming an alliance of like-minded states to promote free trade, in addition to the EU's existing free trade agreements and new agreements with regional blocs such as Asean and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Around 1000 business representatives are attending the conference, where numerous company agreements, particularly in the startup and AI sectors, are expected to be signed.",
  "summary": "Singapore, Japan and now South Korea: The Chancellor has been on an Asian trip since Tuesday. At all stops, he is primarily promoting one concern.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}