German ambassador encourages both Koreas to 'avoid war, be less belligerent'

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German ambassador encourages both Koreas to 'avoid war, be less belligerent'

Published: 13 Oct. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 13 Oct. 2025, 18:44

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt gives a toast as he introduces German dishes during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at Grund, a German wine bar in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, on Sept. 22. [PARK SANG-MOON]

[AMBASSADOR'S TABLE]

Seoul’s ambassadors are often gastronomes keen to share a taste of their home cuisine. In this series, the Korea JoongAng Daily asks the diplomatic corps to introduce our readers to their favorite restaurants representing cuisine from their homelands, while chatting about issues of interest to our Korean and global audience. — Ed.

When comparing Korea and Germany, one topic always surfaces — unification.

But over the decades, the divide between the South and North has only widened. Pyongyang now openly calls Seoul a “hostile state” and flatly rejects unification while younger South Koreans are also skeptical about the aspirations once strongly held by the generations that remember the Korean War.

In an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Sept. 22, Georg Schmidt, Germany's Ambassador to South Korea, urged Koreans to approach the issue with emotion and realism.

“If you really feel compassionate about the human rights situation in North Korea […] isn't it worth making sure that they have a different life than the life now?” said Schmidt, adding that the real cost of the ongoing military tension on the peninsula can't be "quantified."

“It's very good to listen to the North Koreans who came here because they know what life is like there […] because at the end of the day, it cannot just be absorption,” he said. “Never give up hope to at least avoid war and be less belligerent.”

The ambassador also emphasized separating principles from tolerance when it comes to immigration and social integration.

At the same time, he argued, diversity in lifestyle should be respected.

He said it's perfectly acceptable if "you are Muslim and don't drink beer or eat Schweinshaxe (German toasted ham hock)," adding that what truly matters is distinguishing between "law and culture."

Fittingly, the interview took place not in a beer hall but in a wine bar in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, where the ambassador introduced Riesling, a wine with a sharp acidity and fruity balance still relatively unfamiliar in Korea.

“It breaks the traditional cliché that Germany is about beer and Oktoberfest,” he said.

Explore German flavors on a 'wine vacation' at Grund

Below are edited excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.

German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt speaks in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Sept. 22. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Germany is often seen as a model for reunification. What lessons apply to Korea?

It creates a special bond between Korea and Germany — we feel what it’s like to be divided. When I went to the German army, there was always the possibility Germans would have to shoot other Germans. The DMZ (demilitarized zone) reminds me of that: You can almost reach out to the other side. People speak the same language but live on a different planet.
There are differences though. We never had a civil war, but hostile systems. We managed to permeate the division: people-to-people contacts, travel and East Germans watching West German TV. And at the end of the day, reunification came because the Soviet Union decided not to shoot at protesters, and East German citizens had the courage to stand up.
But we were never threatened by East Germany with nuclear weapons; that’s a very different situation here. North Korea has studied German reunification in its own way and is very careful. Even watching South Korean films or listening to South Korean music, you can be executed in the North. Never give up hope — at least avoid war and be less belligerent.

Since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rejects unification, and Seoul says no absorption, how can Korea adjust its approach rather than follow the German model outright?

It’s a question of creativity. In the 1990 elections in Germany, some parties suggested a confederation first. So the two states would remain as two states but improve relations and merge certain things. But people wanted things quicker, with East Germans' desire for prosperity, cars and shopping. Once North Korea one day sees South Korea's wealth, it will be difficult [for North Korea to contain its urgency].
Diplomacy is all about creativity and, first of all, avoiding war. Compared to 1950, the North and the South are capable of destroying each other, and nobody benefits.
We still see resistance in East Germany with absorption. Even with unified pensions and wages, many East Germans felt like second-class citizens. After 30 years, regional differences remain.
One of my pieces of advice is to listen more to North Koreans who came to the South — they know life there. In hindsight, some Germans wished we had waited and built a new house together rather than East Germany moving in and living according to West rules. But foreign policy timing was tight. If Germany had waited for two or three years, things might have been different.

An unidentified West Berliner swings a sledgehammer, trying to destroy the Berlin Wall near Potsdamer Platz in Berlin on Nov. 12 in 1989. [AP/YONHAP]

A growing number of young South Koreans resist reunification, saying they don’t want to financially support the North.

I understand. But think of two things. If you really feel compassionate about the human rights situation in North Korea, if you really feel that they're not just some kind of devils but they are human beings with dreams and aspirations, isn’t it worth helping them have a different life? Second, how do you quantify the current danger that you are in right now? South Korea has conscription and a risk of military confrontation. People who say “I don’t care” will care if their phone warns of an imminent attack.
Reducing that risk — so brothers and sisters don’t kill each other — is often missed when people look only at numbers.

How can South Korea deal with surrounding major powers while pursuing reunification?

Germany negotiated with the Soviets, the United States, France and Britain in the “Two Plus Four” process, involving neighbors like Poland. The key was to convince everyone that a reunited Germany would see itself firmly as part of Europe and the West.
For Korea, all your neighbors are bigger — so why should they fear a united Korea? Even united, you're the size of one Chinese province. Formally, North and South are sovereign nations — not under Allied status — so in principle it could be easier. If people in North and South truly want reunification, who would stop two sovereign nations?

The chancellor opened the Conference of German Ambassadors for the first time in 25 years. What messages related to Korea came up?

Our most pressing issue is the Russian war because it is happening on our doorstep. Russian aircraft and drones are entering NATO airspace. Hybrid warfare, cyberattacks and Russian ships are cutting undersea cables. We mobilized hundreds of billions of euros to upgrade our defense and security and to push through economic reforms and upgrade our infrastructure because external strength comes from internal reality.
Korea comes into the picture in several dimensions. Militarily, South Korea wants to be among the top arms exporters, as seen with successful armament sales to Poland. German and Korean firms sometimes compete in third markets. But the question is: Can we actually do more, and do it together? Could we coproduce? Asia-Europe security is linked. North Koreans are fighting and dying in Europe, and Russian compensation to North Korea potentially threatens your security.
Economically, trade is the lifeblood for both our countries. We don’t have big resources and are threatened by U.S. tariff policies. Linking our value chains more reliably and sustainably in the long term is crucial. Last year, we exported more to Korea than to Japan. We compete but can also work together.

Then-liberal Democratic Party chief Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Feb. 6. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

South Korea is dealing with low birthrates, and more people say we should be more open to accepting newcomers. How does Germany handle immigration problems?

It’s not easy to run a multicultural society — many unspoken things must be negotiated and spoken about. Germany has always been a country of migration. In the 1960s, we brought in “guest workers,” expecting them to return. Many stayed, but integration was lacking. The Korean nurses and miners community was quite successful because parents pushed children to study hard.
At the moment, we have two strands of migration: labor due to demographic and asylum seekers. Now, a few points make it problematic: The people who seek asylum are often young men, and crime stats show young men — German or non-German — are more likely to commit crime, and some crimes make headlines. But you should not infer from one person’s behavior a whole community.
Another problem is that asylum seekers cannot work until their cases are cleared, yet work is the best integration tool because it gives them purpose, something to relate to and income. Welfare abuse also angers citizens — if you work hard and see a non-German receiving benefits, resentment grows.
The rule must be clear — no cultural excuses for breaking the law. Also, offer the right incentives and controls, and think about social benefits so people don’t feel others get something they don’t.
But in culture, if I’m Muslim, I don’t drink beer and I don’t eat Schweinshaxe, but it’s perfectly okay to be German without beer or pork. Distinguishing what is the law and what is culture helps you in a multicultural, tolerant society much more.

Participant dance behind a float during the 'Parade of Love' techno music demonstration on Aug. 30 in Berlin. [EPA/YONHAP]

Many people travel to Germany for club tours, and the Embassy tried to introduce the techno scene here. Is there meaning in bringing this genre as part of diplomacy?

Techno is more than music. It’s a safe space embracing diversity, global and accessible. The values — diversity, respect, sharing — are where diplomacy comes in. We support artists from different countries, invite them to Germany and create encounters with German artists.
Cultural policy is about creating spaces, and techno is one area where Germany has a global reputation — Berlin techno was even listed [in our registry of] intangible world cultural heritage. Sometimes art also carries political meaning: One German artist reused Cold War loudspeakers to create sound installations, turning tools of division into instruments of connection. Even during the Berlin Wall, people in the East listened to concerts from the West. Physical borders couldn’t stop sound.

You’ve worked across Asia. What stands out in South Korea?

I have great respect for what Korea achieved. In 1953, the country was completely destroyed by the war, with no big resources. Growth came from hard work and education. In the 1980s, people fought hard for democracy and obtained it. In December last year, many young Koreans defended those rights again. That is very impressive — many people outside envy you for this.

You recommended a wine place instead of a beer place. Why is that?

German beer is already a well-known brand — even in Korea, with all the Hofs. But German wine is less familiar, though Germany is one of Europe’s largest producers. The south and southwest are wine regions, while the north is beer only. I come from a wine region where wine was part of daily life. We even drink Schorle — half wine, half mineral water — as a summer refreshment. Some wines are made specifically for Schorle.

German Ambassador Georg Schmidt highlights Germany’s wine culture, holding a bottle of Riesling at Grund in eastern Seoul on Sept. 22. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Which wine would you like to introduce to Koreans today?

Riesling. It’s the most famous and widely available. If I mention lesser-known varieties, readers might get frustrated not finding them here. Riesling is the “king of wines” in Germany, with strong acidity plus berry tastes — the right balance with fruitiness. That’s the secret of a good Riesling.

What about German food?

Germany has huge regional variety. Northern Germany eats more fish, bread and potatoes; southern Germany more meat and noodles. Germans also love salads and soups and seasonal dishes like onion cake during harvest.
The food representing my hometown includes Flammkuchen, asparagus, Spaetzle (egg-based pasta) and Maultaschen — dumplings with meat hidden inside, developed during fasting periods when people weren’t supposed to eat meat. It’s basically a German mandu.

BY SEO JI-EUN, LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]