President Kim Arrives in Germany

On the afternoon of March 8 (Korean time), President Kim Dae-jung arrived in Germany, embarking on a three-day visit. Germany is the last destination on his European tour.
President Kim and his wife arrived at 10:20 a.m. (local time), and attended a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Koch of Hessen State. President Kim called Hessen the center of the European economy, as it has a concentration of 400 banks, including Bundesbank and the European Central Bank. He said, "There is huge potential for industrial and technological cooperation (with Korea) in the fields of chemicals, machines, automobiles, electronics, and the environment." President Kim went on to say that he heard that Prime Minister Koch cooks noodles well, and joked, "Hessen State must be prosperous because the prime minister has made a lot of noodles."
Before the luncheon, he met President Strube of BASF AG, and praised his decision on further investment in Korea.
After the luncheon, President Kim gave a speech in the auditorium of the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with 250 German businesspeople in attendance, including President Hankel of Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, Chairman Dietz of German-Korean Economic Cooperation Committee, and Director Niethammer of Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In addition, 100 Korean businesspeople stationed in Germany also attended.
President Kim said, "I hope that Korea, a mid-level nation in East Asia, and Germany, a key nation in Europe, will consolidate and develop a mutual, complementary cooperative relationship. Through economic reform, Korea is becoming a good nation to invest in." He received applause when he said, "I ask you businesspeople to stand on the frontlines in building a steadfast friendship between Korea and Germany."
President Kim then visited Petra Roth, mayor of Frankfurt, and signed in a gold guestbook containing the signatures of Wilhelm the Second, Dr. Schuweitzer, and President Kennedy. President Kim said to Mayor Roth, "Many Korean miners and nurses have settled here. Please pay special attention to the 60 Korean enterprises stationed here."
President Kim also hosted a meeting for 250 Korean residents of Germany at the Steinberger Hof Hotel. He said, "Overseas Koreans are our valuable assets in the era of globalization. Let us be proud for being Korean."
Before his German visit, President Kim and his wife hosted a meeting with 330 Korean residents at Papillon Gabriel in Paris. There, the president said, "European nations believe Korea to be a democratic country now. It has overcome the economic crisis with concerted efforts, and it is implementing the great sunshine policy (policy of engagement with North Korea)."

by Kim Jin-kook