Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

On the morning of August 2, Defense Minister Shin Won Sik held a meeting with Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the Defense Ministry in Seoul.

Minister Shin said that Germany is traditionally a friendly nation that contributed greatly to the reconstruction of Korea after the Korean War by sending a medical support group and added that he looks forward to the further development of relations between Korea and Germany, which share the values of human rights, rule of law and liberal democracy.

Minister Shin noted that Germany successfully joined the United Nations Command (UNC) through close coordination between Germany and the UNC. He also appreciated Germany’s commitment to contributing to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Minister Shin said that with Germany’s membership in the UNC, Korea and the UNC have a new partner in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in jointly responding to North Korea’s threats.

The two ministers pledged to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among the members of the UNC by regularly holding the Korea-UNC Defense Ministerial Meeting for regional peace and stability.

They noted that the militaries of both countries have actively participated in multilateral combined exercises such as the Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) and Exercise Pitch Black, and pledged to further consolidate bilateral defense and defense industry cooperation in various areas including the Indo-Pacific strategy, cybersecurity and technology.

The two defense ministers expressed grave concern over the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and agreed on the need for close teamwork by the international community, including Korea and Germany, as the security of Europe is closely linked to the security on the Korean Peninsula.

In particular, the two officials said that with the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, the North poses a serious threat to the security of Europe and the international community beyond the Indo-Pacific region.

Minister Shin also strongly condemned the North for flying trash-filled balloons into the South and asked for Germany’s support for South Korea’s policy toward the North.

The defense ministers pledged to closely communicate on major security issues and develop bilateral defense cooperation more in the future.