On November 3rd, 2009, in Seoul a seminar on the perspectives of North and South Korean relations 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall took place, organized by the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS) and the Korea Exim Bank, where Dr. Bernhard Seliger, representative of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation Korea, took stock of the political, economic and social results of German unification after 20 years. He proposed not only to integration the increasing number of defectors from the North better into the South Korean society, but also to prepare them as “ambassadors of change” for the time of reconciliation and reunification, since they best were prepared to understand the differences in mentality of North and South. This issue, problems of integration in society, had been underestimated in the case of German unification.

The seminar was opened by the director of INSS, Dr. Song-Wook Nam, as well as the Minister of Unification, Prof. In-Taek Hyun. The German Ambassador, Dr. Hans-Ulrich Seidt, as well as Hak-Joon Kim, editor of Dong-A Ilbo, delivered congratulatory speeches. Further papers were presented by Prof. Song-Joon Ko of Cheju University, Dr. Myong-Deok Ko of INSS and Prof. Kwang-Jack Park of Sungkyungkwan University. In a remarkable speech Prof. Park analyzed the differences of German East-West relations and Korean North-South cooperation.

Related articles
The Korea Times, November, 9, 2009
Joongang Ilbo, November, 5, 2009

Speakers together with Minister of Unification, Dr. Hyun In-Taek

Podium at the seminar of INSS