Kang Seung-woo is the Business Desk editor at The Korea Times. Prior to this position, he covered politics, national affairs, finance and sports.
Germany to cooperate for unification
President Park Geun-hye and German President Joachim Gauck, right, greet children waving the national flags of Korea and Germany in a welcoming ceremony for Gauck at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. At center is Gauck’s partner Daniela Schadt. / Joint press corps
By Kang Seung-woo
By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye said Monday that Korea will work together with Germany toward the unification of the two Koreas.
Park met with German President Joachim Gauck at Cheong Wa Dae and discussed a range of other issues too, including the global economy and scientific technology.
Gauck arrived in Seoul Sunday on a four-day state visit _ the first time for a German president to make a visit to East Asia.
“The experience of German unification will serve as a valuable lesson to Korea preparing for a peaceful unification,” Park said during a joint press conference.
“We have agreed to boost cooperation about unification issues.”
Park also said that given that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the division of the Korean Peninsula and the 25th anniversary of German unification, his visit is more significant.
Gauck’s visit is regarded as a symbolic gesture intended to promote a vision of peaceful unification of South and North Korea, which are still technically at war.
“I know that he plans to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and meet North Korean defectors while in Korea and I expect his visit to Korea to draw more interest in Korean reunification,” she said.
On the sidelines of the meeting, BMW, a German luxury automobile automaker, and the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation and exchanges on converging auto technology with information technology (IT).