President Park Geun-hye and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held summit talks in Berlin on March 26 to discuss ways to substantially boost bilateral cooperation in trade and investment between Korea and Germany. They also agreed to cooperate on preparing for reunification on the Korean Peninsula.

President Park and Chancellor Merkel agreed to make efforts to extend the volume of investment flowing between the two countries, while highly valuing the volume of bilateral trade that reached its highest-ever amount of USD 27.2 billion last year.


The two leaders discussed ways to cooperate on preparation for reunification on the Korean Peninsula, based on Germany's unification experience. In regard to North Korean nuclear weapons, they shared the common view that North Korea’s nuclear arms program is unacceptable. Both leaders agreed to work together to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and become a responsible member of the international community.

At the joint press conference after the summit, President Park said, “Korea and Germany share a special bond, having shared the painful experience of national separation during the Cold War. Germany is a model of peaceful reunification for Korea, as the country not only reunited but also achieved social integrity.”

“To open a new era of unification on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul and Berlin agreed to effectively share Germany’s unification experience by forming a multilateral cooperation structure in many sectors, including social and economic integration and international cooperation,” said the president. President Park said that the two countries will bolster the activities of the Korea-Germany Joint Consultation Committee, which is designed to share Germany’s national experience of unification with Korea. She added that both countries will form cooperation networks involving financial authorities and economic policy research institutes in order to systemically study economic integration and financial issues surrounding German unification.


President Park said that she hopes to create the vision of a unified Korea through her German visit. “Korea would like to study and apply to the Korean economy Germany’s well-established trilateral cooperation structure involving academia, industry and research, and the country’s knowhow in developing small- and medium-sized businesses,” said President Park.

When asked about tensions in Northeast Asia, President Park said, “Despite the territorial disputes or historical issues that cause tension in the region, Northeast Asian countries are highly dependent on each other economically. It would be hard to imagine an action that would fundamentally destroy this cooperation framework.” The president said she proposed a Northeast Asian peace vision and will work to realize it.

In the press conference, Chancellor Merkel said that she would support Korea so that the country could achieve unification. She added that Germany hopes for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear arms issue and supports the six-party talks.

“The reunification of Germany brought good luck and Glücksfall," said the German leader, using the German word for "bonanza." She said that Korea’s case is totally different from that of Germany, as the German people were able to watch TV programs on both sides and become familiar with each other's daily routine. In this regard, Merkel said that economic preparation for unification would help make reunification easier for Korea.

Prior to the summit, President Park attended a luncheon with German President Joachim Gauck. During the luncheon, President Park said, “Germany is the envy of all Koreans, as the country overcame national division and achieved unification. The Korean people have suffered the pain of separation for nearly 70 years. For Koreans, to follow Germany’s suit is the ultimate goal.” She added that her administration would like to learn from Germany’s valuable experience and find suitable ways for Korea to prepare for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

By Wi Tack-whan, Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr