From left: Bernhard Seliger, HSS Korea; Christian Hegemer, Director of the Institute for International Contact and Cooperation of HSS; Nam-Shik Hur, Mayor of Busan, Prof. Dr. Sung-Jo Park, Dong-A University

Korea’s second largest city, Busan, as a trade and industrial center, is also an important partner of the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation. Christian Hegemer, head of the Institute for International Cooperation and Contact (IBZ) of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation met several important persons of city and surrounding region in the context of his inaugural visit to Busan. Highlight of the visit was an extensive talk with Nam-Sik Hur, first mayor of Busan, who advertised stronger economical ties and cooperation with Germany, but also argued for a closer collaboration between the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation and institutions in Busan. At his visit to the city hall, Christian Hegemer was accompanied by Prof. Dr. Sung-Jo Park, professor emeritus of the Free University of Berlin and a chair professor at Dong-A University in Busan, as well as Dr. Bernhard Seliger, representative of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation in Korea.

After an interview with „Kukje Shinmun“, one of the biggest local newspapers, possibilities of cooperation within the field of environmental technology, for an instance relating to the Gobitec-project of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, were discussed with Prof. Dr. Hae-Ryong Chung, head of Busan Human Resources Development Institute. At the Graduate School of Northeast Asian Studies of Dong-A University, partner of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation in questions relating to the external embedment of a peace framework for the Korean peninsula, Hegemer met Prof. Dr. Sang-Hee Jeong, dean of the same institute. Here he also held a well attended lecture about Germany and Korea as partners in development policy. The evening before, he already had met Nial Moores, joint founder of the NGO “Birds Korea”, with whom he had discussed current environmental politics as well as the environmental projects of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation in the border area.

Meeting with Prof. Hae-Ryong Chung, Chairman, Human Resources Development Institute, Busan

Special lecture at Dong-A University: from the left, Dean Sang-Hee Jeong, Prof. Dr. Sung-Jo Park, Christian Hegemer, Dr. Bernhard Seliger