President Moon Jae-in and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is making an official visit to Korea, held a summit followed by a luncheon today. During their meeting that lasted for approximately two hours and 40 minutes from 11:30 this morning, they discussed bilateral relations and the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

Welcoming President Steinmeier to Korea, President Moon noted that Germany, as a country that had achieved peace and harmony by overcoming division and confrontation, was Korea’s crucial partner that had provided great assistance in the process of economic growth and democratization. 

President Moon noted that North Korea’s decision to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics raised hopes of improving inter-Korean ties and hosting a peace Olympics. Moreover, he went on to say Germany’s experience in accomplishing reconciliation and unification rising above conflict between East and West Germany had given Koreans a great lesson and inspiration.  

President Moon went on to say that improvement in inter-Korean relations and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula had to go hand in hand. He continued that the task lying ahead was how to sustain the recently-gained momentum of inter-Korean dialogue to evolve into U.S.-North Korea talks even after the close of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

President Steinmeier gave advice saying that it was important not to lose hope for unification but to loosen barriers by pursuing progress in various small areas and further expanding humanitarian interaction, including the reunions of separated families and mutual visits, as they had already discussed during President Moon`s visit to Berlin. 

In addition, President Steinmeier said he had talked about how fortunate it was for Germany to achieve unification whenever he visited Korea, adding that the German people understood well living in a divided nation. In this connection, President Steinmeier said Germany would always actively support President Moon`s endeavors to make the Korean Peninsula peaceful.  

President Steinmeier presented to President Moon a portrait of former German Chancellor Willy Brandt, who formulated Ostpolitik, or eastern policy, in the past and helped materialize a detente within Germany and Europe. President Moon said President Steinmeier’s quiet political maneuvers, prudence and sincerity reminded him of a traditional Korean potter, who silently devotes himself to his work, and gave him a white moon jar, symbolizing harmony between South and North Korea. The jar is made of white clay from Yanggu, Gangwon-do Province, and Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. 

Present at the meeting from the German side were State Secretary Stephan Steinlein, Minister of State in the Federal Foreign Office Maria Boehmer, German-Korean Forum Co-Chair Hartmut Koschyk and German Ambassador to Korea Stephan Auer. On the Korean side were Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-kyu, Director of National Security Chung Eui-yong, Chief of Staff to the President for Policy Jang Hasung and Korean Ambassador to Germany Jong Bumgoo.