German Chancellor visits inter-Korean border, sends message to Pyongyang

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the Demilitarized Zone on the inter-Korean border on May 21.

At the DMZ, Chancellor Scholz called the missile tests a sign of the "still dangerous situation" on the Korean peninsula, stating: "This is a threat to peace and security in the region."

Referring to Germany's history as a divided country from 1949-1990, the leader said "it was our luck" but stressed that division still exists on the Korean peninsula.

The DMZ on the border between the two Koreas is a strip of land 250km long and 4km wide, running across the Korean peninsula.

Once one of the most heavily armed border areas in the world, the DMZ is lined with minefields, barbed wire fences, electronic fences, surveillance cameras and military checkpoints by the South and North Korean militaries.

After visiting the DMZ, the German Chancellor met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul.

According to Yonhap news agency, at the meeting, the two leaders agreed to sign an agreement on protecting military secrets to strengthen German-Korean defense cooperation.

Speaking at a press conference, President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed that the above agreement will help "smoothly operate the defense industry supply chain" of the two countries, in the context of global economic and political instability.

He expressed hope that South Korea and Germany will further expand cooperation and strengthen solidarity for peace and prosperity in Europe and Asia.

In addition, the two leaders also discussed enhancing cooperation in a number of other areas, including semiconductor manufacturing, bioenergy, clean energy and combating climate change.

This year 2023, South Korea and Germany celebrate the 140th anniversary of bilateral relations. Mr. Scholz is the first German Chancellor to visit South Korea in 30 years.