Why is Unification Minister Chung Dong-young visiting Northern Ireland, Ireland and Germany?

He is traveling to explain South Korea’s approach to peaceful coexistence with North Korea and to look at how those places moved past deep divisions. The ministry said he wants to gather support for Seoul’s North Korea policy and learn from their peace and conflict resolution experiences.

What will Chung Dong-young do in Ireland and Northern Ireland during the Europe trip?

In Northern Ireland, he will meet officials involved in the peace process and discuss how the country worked through decades of conflict. In Ireland, he will meet experts in international conflict resolution, study its independence struggle and later lecture at Trinity College Dublin.

What is Chung Dong-young scheduled to do in Germany?

He will go to Bremen to represent South Korea at the German Unity Day ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of German unification. He also plans to meet Bremen Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte to seek German support for peace building on the Korean Peninsula.

Unification minister to visit Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany from this week

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Summary

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will visit Northern Ireland, Ireland and Germany starting this week to explain South Korea’s approach to peaceful coexistence with North Korea. He will spend eight days in Europe, meet officials and experts on peace and conflict resolution, and attend Germany’s Unity Day ceremony in Bremen. He also plans to seek German support for peace building on the Korean Peninsula before returning home next Monday.

Key Facts

Chung will first visit Northern Ireland to meet officials involved in the peace process and discuss how the country moved through decades of conflict.
In Ireland, he will meet experts in international conflict resolution and learn about the country’s long struggle for independence and the settlement of the conflict in Northern Ireland.
He is scheduled to give a special lecture on peaceful coexistence with North Korea at Trinity College Dublin at the invitation of the Society for International Affairs.
In Bremen, he will represent South Korea at the German Unity Day ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of German unification.
Before the ceremony, he plans to meet Bremen Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte to seek German support and interest in the peace building process on the Korean Peninsula.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 28, 2026 9:44 am KST

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers a speech at the event marking the fourth Separated Families Day in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Unification

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will visit Northern Ireland, Ireland and Germany starting this week in an effort to explain South Korea's approach to peaceful coexistence with North Korea, the ministry said Monday.

The minister was set to leave for Europe on Monday for an eight-day trip in a bid to see how each moved past deep divisions and muster support for Seoul's North Korea policy, according to the ministry.

His first stop is Northern Ireland, where he will meet officials involved in the country's peace process and discuss how it worked through decades of conflict.

The trip will be followed by his visit to Ireland to meet experts in international conflict resolution and learn about the country's long struggle for independence and the eventual settlement of the conflict in Northern Ireland, according to the ministry.

While in Ireland, Chung is scheduled to give a special lecture on peaceful coexistence with North Korea at Trinity College Dublin at the invitation of the Society for International Affairs (SOFIA), a student organization at the school interested in international politics and relations.

His final stop is Bremen, Germany, where he will represent South Korea at the German Unity Day ceremony, marking the 36th anniversary of German unification.

Prior to the event, he plans to meet Bremen Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte to seek German support and interest in the peace building process on the Korean Peninsula.

He is set to return home next Monday.

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