Ministry of Unification of the Republic of Korea

10/07/2024 | News release | Archived content

Vice Minister Kim Soo Kyung visits Germany to attend celebrations for the 34th anniversary of the Day of German Unity

Vice Minister Kim meets with key German figures to spread global consensus on a "unified Korean Peninsula that is free, peaceful, and prosperous"

Vice Minister Kim Soo Kyung visits Germany to attend celebrations for the 34th anniversary of the Day of German Unity (October 1 to 5)

Unification Vice Minister Kim Soo Kyung visited Germany to attend celebrations for the 34th anniversary of the Day of German Unity as the Korean government's representative from October 1 to 5.

On October 2, Vice Minister Kim met with former German President Joachim Gauck, the first East German-born president.

While former President Gauck expressed concern that "an emphasis on immediate peace could, in reality, strengthen dictatorial regimes," he highlighted his deep interest in North Korean human rights and expressed his support for the unification of the Korean Peninsula, stressing the necessity and justness of unification.

Following this, Vice Minister Kim met with State Secretary Dörte Dinger from the Office of the Federal President to exchange views on changes in the international landscape and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. They also discussed the North Korean human rights situation and the vision of the August 15 Unification Doctrine, "a unified Korean Peninsula that is free, peaceful, and prosperous."

State Secretary Dinger acknowledged the changing international security landscape and emphasized the need for close and multifaceted cooperation between South Korea and Germany.

Vice Minister Kim then visited the Free University of Berlin to give a special lecture and engaged in discussions with German students about the unification issue of the Korean Peninsula.

The vice minister explained the recent changes within North Korean society and emphasized the South Korean government's efforts toward unification.

The students who attended the lecture showed high interest in the unification issue, asking questions about the implementation plan of the August 15 Unification Doctrine and unification policies for future generations.

On October 3, Vice Minister Kim attended celebrations for the 34th anniversary of the Day of German Unity held in Schwerin and engaged in extensive discussions with key figures from Germany.

Ahead of the celebrations, she met with Parliamentary State Secretary and Eastern Germany Commissioner Carsten Schneider to congratulate him on the 34th anniversary of the Day of German Unity. Vice Minister Kim also expressed gratitude for the German government's support for Korean unification and sought their endorsement for the August 15 Unification Doctrine.

After the celebrations, Vice Minister Kim met with Federal Council President and Minister President of Mechlenburg-Vorpommern Manuela Schwesig and asked for stronger cooperation based on universal values of humanity such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, that both governments pursue.

Federal Council President Schwesig shared the view of close cooperation between South Korea and Germany in various sectors based on their common values.

Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz greeted Vice Minister Kim and expressed his support for Korean unification.

Moreover, Vice Minister Kim met with President of the German Bundestag Bärbel Baas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, and Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Hubetus Heil to ask for their support for a "unified Korean Peninsula that is free, peaceful, and prosperous."

On the final day of her visit, October 4, Vice Minister Kim attended the Frankfurt Korea Symposium 2024: Human Rights in North Korea hosted by the Northern Europe Municipal Chapter of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and delivered a keynote speech on the strategies and visions of the August 15 Unification Doctrine for North Korean human rights experts and Koreans living in Germany.

Vice Minister Kim's visit to Germany served as a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and Germany on unification and to broaden international support for the vision of a "unified Korean Peninsula that is free, peaceful, and prosperous."