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| German Ambassador to South Korea Stephan Auer, third from left, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, second from left, Rolf Mutzenich, right, leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the Bundestag, and Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) Chairman and CEO Robert Hermann pose during a reception at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, Oct. 11, to mark the anniversaries of the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and the 1990 German reunification. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo |
By Yi Whan-woo
It was hard not to notice the number 30 when German Ambassador to South Korea Stephan Auer hosted a reception last week to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification a year later.
The number was imprinted on celebratory banners hanging on every wall of a reception hall at Grand Hyatt Seoul, on floating balloons and on a podium before which dignitaries gave speeches.
In his welcoming address, Ambassador Auer then made clear that the number 50 also should not go unnoticed this year with reference to the beginning of late West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's term in October 1969.
Also a former leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), Brandt was the architect of Ostpolitik — a foreign policy that sought detente with East Germany and other Soviet-bloc countries.
Meaning "eastern policy" in German, Ostpolitik was continued under later governments and other parties after Brandt's chancellorship in May 1974.
Christian Democrat Helmut Kohl seized the chance and became "Chancellor of the reunification."
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| German Ambassador to South Korea Stephan Auer delivers a speech during a reception to mark the anniversaries of the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and the 1990 German reunification at Grand Hyatt Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo |
"Looking back on this autumn of freedom, today is an emotional day not only for the German people, but also for Koreans," Auer said at the reception on Oct. 11, which fell between the anniversaries of German reunification on Oct. 3, 1990 and the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989. "At the same time, this autumn marks 50 years since the beginning of the chancellorship of Willy Brandt."
He said the continuity of dialogue, rapprochement, and cross-border contacts in accordance with Ostpolitik was an important condition for the reunification.
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| Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul gives a speech as German Ambassador to South Korea Stephan Auer listens at Grand Hyatt Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo |
Unlike Germany, South Korea has witnessed the suspension of cross-border reconciliatory efforts depending on the governments.
Taking this into account, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul underscored continuity as well in a separate speech as guest of honor.
"The West and East Germans had already exchanged views and maintained contacts in many sectors before reunification," he said. "The efforts … regardless of the changes of government, to follow the Ostpolitik consistently for more than 20 years also contributed to the early peaceful reunification."
The path to national unity, according to Minister Kim, can be even more important than results.
Among other dignitaries were Rolf Mutzenich, SPD leader in the Bundestag, and Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) Chairman and CEO Robert Hermann.
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| Guests enjoy a buffet dinner during a reception to mark the anniversaries of the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and the 1990 German reunification at Grand Hyatt Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo |
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| The German Federal Armed Forces' Big Band performs at the reception. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo |
Regarding ties with South Korea, Ambassador Auer said Germany wants to work together through the Alliance for Multilateralism.
Initiated by Germany and France, this is an alliance involving middle powers to reinvigorate collective action and to defend rule-based international order.
Among recent examples of Germany-South Korea cooperation were visits of members of German-Korean Friendship Group in the Bundestag to Seoul, Busan and Ulsan, the 18th German-Korean Forum in Berlin and an annual conference of the Alumni Network Germany-Korea (ADeKo).
The ambassador said that the relationship among ordinary people was notable, too, as seen by the popularity of K-pop in Germany, an increasing number of Korean restaurants outside Berlin, the presence of more than 500 German companies in Korea and more than 360 Korean companies in Germany.
"And while it stands for German unity for us, we wish our Korean friends nothing more than that they, too, can overcome the division, and, in the not too distant future, celebrate reunification in peace and freedom," Auer said.
Minister Kim said he hopes the two countries would continue to cooperate as trusting partners, saying, "We will, together, actively promote peace as a universal value of humankind."
Mutzenich addressed empathy when talking about peace and detente on the Korean Peninsula, saying, "We Germans know what it means when a nation cannot live together in freedom and democracy and what it means to live in a divided country."
"I wish that soon or at least in the not too far future, the Korean people will be able to experience unity in peace and freedom."
He also touched on North Korea's adherence to nuclear programs and the setbacks in denuclearization dialogue.
"It is disillusioning that, despite the verbal accommodations of the U.S. President, North Korea not only makes no attempt to abandon his nuclear weapons program, but, on the contrary, is developing it further, provoking its East Asian neighbors with new missile tests," he said.
"Thus, I would like to express my highest regard for the fact that, despite all the setbacks, the South Korean government is tirelessly promoting an open and constructive dialogue, advocating for a change of policy and detente between the two Korean states."
