President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed Thursday to elevate bilateral ties to an “enhanced strategic partnership,” signing a series of agreements spanning defense, technology, energy and trade during Merz’s state visit to Seoul. “Building on this deep trust and cooperation, Chancellor Merz and I have agreed to establish an ‘enhanced strategic partnership’ between the two countries,” Lee said during a joint press conference at Cheong Wa Dae. “Germany is the Republic of Korea’s largest trading partner in Europe ... The joint statement adopted today reflects our firm and clear commitment to deepening cooperation across a wide range of areas, including politics, security, the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, while strengthening future-oriented cooperation and strategic coordination.” The upgrade was made amid intensifying global challenges, the joint statement said. Among the agreements signed, the two countries adopted a Joint Declaration of Intent on a Framework for an Economic and High-tech Partnership, aimed at strengthening