Germany advises S. Korea to prepare for early inter-Korean reunification

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with Cheong Wa Dae's press briefing)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- Visiting German President Horst Kohler advised South
Korea Monday to prepare for the possibility of an earlier-than-expected
reunification with poverty-stricken communist North Korea, South Korea's
presidential office said.
In his summit with President Lee Myung-bak here, Kohler also said his country is
ready to share details of its own experience in relation to reunification
including the background for policy choices at that time, it added.
"President Kohler stressed that South Korea should never give up hope of
reunification. He also emphasized that South Korea should bear in mind the fact
that reunification (with North Korea) can be achieved earlier than expected,"
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Sun-kyoo said at a press briefing after the
Lee-Kohler summit which lasted for nearly two hours, far longer than the
originally-scheduled one hour.
Park said the reunification issue was among the main topics at the summit, along
with budget deficits in Greece, Portugal and Spain and Seoul's "low-carbon, green
growth" campaign.
"Thank you for reminding me of the need to fully prepare for reunification,"
President Lee offered in response to the German president.
Lee pointed out that South Korea's economy is smaller than West Germany's was at
the time of its reunification with East Germany, which enjoyed better economic
conditions at that time compared to North Korea's current plight.
On the global economy, Lee, formerly a business CEO, stressed the importance of
coping smoothly with ongoing budget strains in some European nations, according
to the spokesman.
Having served as chief of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
and managing director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kohler agreed
that the budget and unemployment problems in the countries have put the Euro and
the European economic system to a crucial test of its strength. He was upbeat,
however, that the nations will be able to weather the crisis without help from
the IMF.
The spokesman quoted Kohler as saying that the crisis is expected to serve as a
good chance for those European countries to reform their budget system.
The presidents also agreed that their countries need to step up cooperation on
green growth, saying the issue was not for single countries to tackle but a
universal task.
In addition, the two sides agreed to expand economic ties and bolster their
partnership on global issues as in joint efforts to reconstruct Afghanistan.
Lee emphasized "the importance of deepening and expanding economic and trade
cooperation with Germany, South Korea's largest trading partner in Europe,"
Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release issued earlier in the day.
Lee also expressed his gratitude to Germany for its support for South Korea's
efforts to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU and requested continued
cooperation for an early signing and ratification of the deal. South Korea,
Asia's fourth largest economy, struck a provisional deal on free trade with the
European bloc last year. The two sides are expected to sign a formal agreement in
May this year.
The South Korean president asked for Germany's support for South Korea's hosting
of the G-20 economic summit on Nov. 11-12, while Kohler said South Korea and
Germany need to play a constructive role in establishing a new global economic
order, according to the press release.
In a photo session ahead of their talks, meanwhile, Lee said South Korea and
Germany "have maintained timed-honored diplomatic relations and cooperative ties
in various fields. With South and North Korea divided, in particular, Germany's
reunification process is thought to be helpful to South Korea (in its efforts for
reunification with the North)."
In response, Kohler said, "My trip this time is to further deepen friendly ties
between Germany and South Korea through discussions not only on pending issues
but also on future ones."
Kohler, on his first trip here as German president in eight years, was to meet
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o and cultural and religious leaders later
Monday.
On Tuesday, he is scheduled to meet a group of German businessmen in South Korea,
Sakong Il, chairman of the Presidential Committee for the G-20 Summit, and South
Korean business leaders. Kohler is to depart Seoul on Wednesday.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)