Johannesburg, Nov 23 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to share the European country’s experience with overcoming division and achieving its reunification during their talks on the margins of the Group of 20 summit in South Africa on Saturday.
Lee made the remarks as his administration has sought to resume engagement with North Korea and ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula since taking office in June. Pyongyang has remained unresponsive to Seoul’s repeated dialogue overtures, Yonhap news agency reported.
“There is much for the Republic of Korea to learn from Germany’s experience,” Lee said, referring to South Korea’s official name. “We should learn about how Germany overcame division and achieved reunification, and the Republic of Korea should follow that path as well.”
When Lee jokingly asked whether Germany had any “secret know-how” on reunification, Merz replied that no such thing exists.
Merz said South Korea and Germany have maintained a strong bilateral relationship, and expressed his hope that cooperation between the two nations will further strengthen.
The German leader also said that he is interested in the security situations on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding areas. Moreover, he wanted to listen to South Korea’s perception regarding China, as Germany is pondering over its own strategy on the Asian superpower.
During the talks, the two leaders agreed to further expand bilateral economic cooperation in energy, critical minerals and other areas, Lee’s office said in a release.
Lee pointed out that Germany is playing an important role in the recent moves by European countries to bolster their defense industry capacity, calling for Merz’s attention to Korean defense contractors’ interest in deepening partnerships with German companies.
He also explained the Korean government’s efforts to ease tensions and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, asking for Germany’s continued cooperation and support by sharing its experience with reunification, according to the office.
During their first in-person meeting, the two leaders agreed to continue discussions through reciprocal visits next year.
–IANS
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