This October Dr. Bernhard Seliger, representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea (HSF), was interviewed by the Korea JoongAng Daily on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of German reunification. Dr. Seliger especially described the life and experiences after the German reunification. He pointed out that the young generation no longer divides Germany into East and West Germany in their thinking and that the economic gap, which still exists 30 years after the reunification, is constantly decreasing. In this context, Dr. Seliger added that South Korea should continue its "North policy" on the road to Korean reunification. He also stressed the significant importance of constant communication and direct meetings with the DPRK.
You can read the original article here. (Korean)
Furthermore, in this year's November issue of Nara Kyungjae, Dr. Seliger was interviewed about German reunification and the inter-Korean exchange. Dr. Seliger expressed his happiness about the 30th anniversary of the German reunification and pointed out that in the process of German reunification long and short-term factors jointly played a major role. He stressed the special importance of the German policy reducing the gap between East and West Germany. With regard to the Korean peninsula, Dr. Seliger noted that the difficult relationship is particularly based on the lack of inter-Korean communication and the resulting lack of trust. Therefore, he stressed that the civil exchange and facilitation of contacts with the DPRK are essential for the expansion of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation. Finally, Dr. Seliger briefly explained the efforts of HSF Korea to defuse the conflict on the Korean peninsula by supporting ecological restoration projects in the DPRK.
You can read the original article here. (Korean)
Dr. Seliger also participated in an interview with New Forest Korea which was arranged by the Korean Forest Service last September. In his interview, he stated that "the restoration and reforestation of the forests on the Korean peninsula are our immediate and ongoing task which must be accomplished together." New Forest Korea, a project to bring inter-Korean cooperation through collaborative forest projects, is accompanied by Dr. Seliger, actress Kyu Li Kim and the German TV personality Daniel Lindemann.
A preview of the New Forest Korea interview can be viewed here. (Korean)