German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche cancels Asia trip due to COVID-19

German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche has canceled a planned trip to South Korea after testing positive for COVID-19. The cancellation prevents her from participating in the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul, an event she was scheduled to co-lead alongside Roland Busch, the CEO of Siemens and Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business.

While Reiche is sidelined, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is proceeding with his multi-day mission to Asia. His itinerary includes Singapore and Japan before arriving in South Korea, where he is expected to open the conference on Friday. The Chancellor's trip aims to deepen economic and security cooperation with regional partners and includes a planned visit to the demilitarized zone at the border with North Korea.