Dr. Oliver Bär in Yeoncheon to talk about reunification - Cooperation between Hof and Yeoncheon

The Hof delegation consists of three representatives of the County Council, one member of the County Administration, and the District Administrator. Unlike Yeoncheon District Administrator Kim Kyu Sun, who has visited Hof already twice, it was the first time for the Hof delegation to visit its partner district in South Korea. Prior to his visit to Yeoncheon Dr. Oliver Bär paid a visit to the RIG (Research Institute for Gangwon Province: Institute for Spatial Planning in Gangwon-do). The RIG is located in the city of Chuncheon, where Dr. Oliver Bär talked about “support measures for zonal areas given by the BRD prior to the unification and societal and economic changes in the border areas afterwards by the example of the district Hof”.

Together with Kim Kyu Sun the delegation went to a military observatory at the inner-Korean border to discuss about cooperation and exchange in the fields of music and reunification: regarding the annual DMZ music festival the suggestion was made to bring German classical musicians to Yeoncheon. The suggestion was warmly welcomed by the German district.

In addition, they agreed on further cooperation regarding “reunification”. In his keynote speech at a seminar on reunification Dr. Bär spoke about “The most important measures for gaining compensation between the eastern and western states”. As a former border district, Hof will continue to support Yeoncheon in matters concerning the procedure of division and reunification.  Kim Kyu Sun thankfully accepted Dr. Oliver Bär invitation to Hof.

The visit by Hof to Yeoncheon was successful, leaving the delegation content. Both partner districts are going to continue their cooperation supported by a significant contribution of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.