7th Meeting of the German-Korean Consultation Committee on Unification Issues

The meeting started with the opening remarks by the South Korean Vice Minister of Unification, Kim Hyungseok. He gave a short review about the previous meetings and an outlook on the topics of the current session. The German experience could serve as a “lighthouse and compass for a Korean unification”. Iris Gleicke, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy, followed with her remarks. She emphasized the support for a peaceful and diplomatic solution of the political situation on the Korean Peninsula. The German Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Stephan Auer, concluded the opening ceremony. He pointed out that a process is needed to overcome the dividing tensions and to achieve a reapprochement on the Korean Peninsula.

Subsequently, the first part of the meeting focused on the integration of the party-political system after a potential unification. Topics, such as the equality of chances for political parties in a unified Korea or the challenges and perspectives for the political integration were presented by Korean and German experts.

The following sessions then focused on environmental issues. German speakers introduced the status and efforts for nature and environmental conservation in the process of German reunification and how challenges regarding environment were approached. Korean speakers illustrated the status, ongoing efforts and implications regarding environment issues in the light of the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula and a possible unification in the future.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea took part at the meeting. It was emphasized that while dividing tensions on the Korean Peninsula prevent a rapprochement, cooperation in the field of environment could serve as a platform for exchange to start a trust-building process on the Korean Peninsula. The Hanns Seidel Foundation works in South Korea and North Korea with a focus on environment cooperation and reconciliation.