Ex-German Chancellor Schroder to marry Korean girlfriend on Oct. 5

Gerhard Schroder, left, and Kim So-yeon in Seoul early this year. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Park Si-soo

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, 74, will marry his South Korean girlfriend Kim So-yeon, 47, at a hotel in Berlin on Oct. 5, reports say.

The couple will hold a wedding reception in Seoul on Oct. 28, according to the reports.

If the wedding takes places, Kim will become Schroder's fifth wife. Schroder ended his 19-year fourth marriage in 2016.

In January, Schroder and Kim confirmed their engagement at a press conference in Seoul.

According to reports, the German chancellor's office will organize the wedding ceremony and reception.

Schroder and Kim met at a conference in South Korea in May 2015, during which Kim was his interpreter.