The German-Korean Colloquium, which is held every second year, took place for the 7th time at Sogang University this year which alternates with the Catholic University of Eichstätt in Bavaria, Germany in hosting the colloquium. The colloquium was supported by Hanns-Seidel-Foundation again. The topic was – to mark the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the peaceful revolution of 1989 – the reunification of separated nations and social integration.

Thomas Schäfer, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Pyongyang, reported about current relations between Germany and North Korea. Kun-shik Cho, president of Hyundai Asan that runs the Gaesong industry complex and the momentarily discontinued tourism project in Geumgangsan reported about hopes for early thaw between the North and South.

Some of the German guests were Prof. Dr. h.c.mult. Anton Rauscher of the Catholic Socio-scientific Centre who is the founder of the colloquium, Christoph Pötzsch, head of the Catholic Office in Saxony, Prof. Dr. Klaus Stüwe, Prof. Dr. Frank Zschaler and Prof. Dr. Johannes Schneider of the Catholic University of Eichstädt, Prof. Dr. Nils Goldschmidt of the University of the German Federal Armed Forces in Munich and Dr. Robert Böhmer of the Thuringian ministry of economics.

Prof. Dr. Lee Kyu-Yong of Sogang University, a long-time partner of HSS Korea, gave a speech about the six-party talks. Interesting thing was the report by Prof. Dr. Jin-Ho Zong, vice president of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology which was finally officially founded this year after years of preliminary work. The colloquium has once again proven to be an ideal place for in-depth discussion about German-Korean perspectives. Next time the topic at the Catholic University of Eichstätt will be “European Integration – Northeast Asian Integration”. The results of the colloquium are published every second year in a book series.

Congratulatory remark by German Ambassador to South Korea, Dr. Hans-Ulrich Seidt

Participants of the 7th German-Korean colloquium