On the 21st, First Lady Kim Kun-hee met with Britta Ernst, who was on an official visit to Korea with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and said that she hoped for cooperation in discussing the return of cultural assets.
Mrs. Kim met with Mrs. Ernst at the Presidential Office in Yongsan that evening and had a pleasant conversation.
First Lady Kim welcomed Ernst’s first visit to Korea and said, “It is all the more meaningful that you are visiting Korea this year, which marks the 140th anniversary of Korea-Germany exchanges and the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Korean miners to Germany.” To this, Mrs. Ernst replied, “It is a pleasure to meet you again in Seoul following the G7 Summit Spouse Program in Hiroshima.”
Regarding Ernst’s visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea, Mrs. Kim praised Germany, which overcame the pain of division and achieved reunification, saying, “It is a place that vividly shows the reality of the division of the Korean peninsula.”
Recalling that they have been discussing the return of cultural properties with Germany, Ms. Kim said, “I hope that there will be concrete cooperation between specialized institutions of the two countries, such as a joint source investigation of Korean cultural properties held by German museums.” In response, Ms. Ernst expressed her intention to continue consultations, saying, “The German government is paying attention and making efforts to return cultural properties.”
In addition, Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Ernst agreed that they hoped that Korea-Germany friendship would deepen further through various cultural exchanges. In particular, Mrs. Kim asked for interest in various events to be held to mark the 140th anniversary of exchanges between the two countries this year.
First Lady Kim said that it was regrettable that Ernst’s visit to Korea was short, but she hoped that she would experience various Korean food and culture. She said that Ms. Kim would recommend places to visit in Korea, and she recommended that she visit Korea again.
In response, Mrs. Ernst expressed her gratitude for the hospitality of the Korean government and said that she would experience various aspects of Korea.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.