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Breaking barriers

Published: 26 Sep. 2025, 17:16

SEO JI-EUN
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German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt delivers his welcoming remarks at a reception hosted by his embassy on Thursday evening to mark the 35th anniversary of German reunification at The RAUM in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SEO JI-EUN]

The German Embassy in Seoul hosted a reception Thursday evening at a banqueting hall in Gangnam District to mark the 35th anniversary of German reunification.

"Korea lives with the pain of division," German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt said in his welcoming remarks. "We as Germans know this feeling, and this creates a special bond between our two countries."

Switching to Korean, Schmidt added that Germany had worked hard to live in peace despite differences, citing former Chancellor Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik policy as an example of extending a hand for peace, and added, “I am hoping that one day all Koreans will enjoy the fruits of peace and thus overcome their division.”

The evening program included a congratulatory address by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, as well as a DJ session and a sports experience corner hosted by Germany’s VfB Stuttgart football club.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]