Germany’s reticence on Koreas’ reunification puzzles world
Pundits for reuniting Korean peninsula are surprised Germans aren’t using their own reunification experience as a template to advise the southeast Asian countries
Berlin — Politicians and campaigners are urging Germany to use the lessons of its own reunification to help bring North and South Korea together, but Berlin is in no rush to take up the challenge. A second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un planned for later this month has raised hopes for lasting peace on a peninsula divided since war there ended in a truce more than 65 years ago. Reflecting that optimism, diplomats, politicians and foreign policy experts say Germany, which has an embassy in Pyongyang, should be exploring back channels for talks, offering advice on treaty negotiations, and promoting dialogue. But instead, in their opinion, it is falling short. “Germany has a special role to play. Germany and the city of Berlin are for most Koreans symbols of reunification,” said South Korea’s ambassador to Germany, Jong Bum Goo. “Our government wants to integrate North Korea into the international community but in my view the German governm...
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