From 4 to 7 November 2026, Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke and CEO of gwSaar Thomas Schuck are heading to South Korea for economic policy discussions. These will focus on new investment opportunities for Saarland and on reinforcing collaborations in the pharmaceutical industry. Discussions are planned with Korean companies, business representatives and the Gangwon Province administration.
‘South Korea is one of the world’s leading industrial nations in technological terms and is an exciting economic partner for Saarland. The pharmaceutical industry offers opportunities to reinforce our collaborations and persuade new companies of the benefits of Saarland as a location. We want to deepen existing contacts, open new doors and highlight what Saarland has to offer in its position at the heart of Europe’, Barke noted.
In Seoul, the delegation will be meeting representatives of the Korean stock exchange KOSDAQ and talking to companies from the pharmaceutical industry. A trade event will cover issues such as planned European regulations to safeguard the supply of medicines and the question of what the resulting opportunities are for investment and collaborations in Saarland.
In Gangwon Province, the schedule features discussions with the regional government, including deputy governor Won Cheol Shin. Minister of Economic Affairs Barke and Gangwon’s governor Jin Tae Kim signed a cooperation agreement in Saarbrücken in June 2025. The aim is to reinforce collaborations, especially in the fields of business, technology and innovation. The contacts already made should now be deepened and other collaboration opportunities explored during the upcoming discussions.
‘Together with our Korean partners, gwSaar is seeking to create and support investment and relocations in Saarland, whilst also highlighting the opportunities that Saarland offers for their European activities. We will be promoting this both on the ground and in personal discussions’, gwSaar’s CEO Thomas Schuck noted.
In addition, the delegation will be meeting with representatives of the local pharmaceutical and biotechnology cluster in Chuncheon. Another trade event will offer Saarland an opportunity to showcase its features as a location and talk to Korean companies about potential collaborations.
