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24. September 2024

Empfang zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit in Busan

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Rede des Ersten Bürgermeisters Dr. Peter Tschentscher. Es gilt das gesprochene Wort.

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Senatskanzlei Hamburg / Jan Pries

Dear Ambassador Schmidt,
Dear Ambassador Shin,
Mr. Hermann,
Minister Sütterlin-Waack,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to this reception to celebrate October 3rd, a special date in the history of Germany and the Republic of Korea.

Legend tells us that the first Korean state was founded on October 3, more than 4000 years ago. 

Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been celebrated as "Gaecheonjeol" or "National Foundation Day".

Although the tradition of October 3 in Germany is only about 34 years old, it is no less exciting and inspiring.

On October 3, 1990, the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany, uniting the German people into a single state after 45 years of separation.

Since 1991, the Day of German Unity – “der Tag der Deutschen Einheit” - has been officially celebrated each year in one of Germany's 16 federal states to express the diversity of our country and at the same time the unity of its people.

Last year, Hamburg hosted these festivities.

It was a special honor for me and President Steinmeier to welcome the Korean Minister of Unification, Mr. Kim Yung Ho, to Hamburg on this special occasion. 

This year we are in Busan - with a large delegation from Hamburg - and as a partner state of the German Embassy we are celebrating October 3rd here in Korea and for the first time outside the capital.

While Germany has been fortunate to overcome the difficult legacy of World War II and the Cold War, the people of Korea are still hoping for peace and unity.

Upon our arrival, we visited the Korean border and the Demilitarized Zone. 

Today we express our best wishes that this border will one day fall like the Berlin Wall.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

The motto of the "Day of German Unity" in Hamburg was "Opening Horizons".

It fits well with the mission of our visit to Busan: to open new horizons in the German-Korean partnership, especially between Busan and Hamburg.

The Republic of Korea is an important partner for Germany in East Asia. Our two countries have maintained bilateral relations since 1883. 

The Korean Consulate General in Hamburg was established in 1964. It was Korea's first diplomatic mission in Europe. 

Germany is Korea's most important trading partner in Europe, .... 
… and Korea is Germany's third largest economic partner in Asia. 

Since 2019, we have been cooperating within the framework of a Korean-German energy partnership.

In addition, Korea and Germany are also partners in terms of values.

Both countries stand for the rule of law in international politics and for free trade relations.

This binds us together at a time when these values are no longer respected by many governments.

As major ports and important hubs of international trade, Hamburg and Busan have much in common.

We are modern, cosmopolitan cities and business centers with

  • growing economies, 
  • excellent research and educational institutions
  • a vibrant cultural scene and
  • an urban environment that offers a high quality of life and is becoming more sustainable every year.

Last year, Mr. Park and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Hamburg and Busan.

We established new cooperation and shared best practices in various areas, including smart green cities, climate protection and port digitalization.

Today, the port authorities of Hamburg, Busan and Ulsan signed a memorandum to promote the decarbonization of shipping and to standardize the use and bunkering of green fuels such as hydrogen and e-methanol.

This is another step in fostering the relationship between our cities.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would be delighted if we could take the opportunity of this reception to establish new contacts and deepen the friendship between Busan and Hamburg as well as between our two countries. 

On behalf of the Hamburg Senate and our entire delegation, I would like to thank you, Ambassador Shin and the city of Busan, for your hospitality and we thank Ambassador Schmidt and his team as well as Germany Trade & Invest for hosting this event.

I wish you - all of us - an inspiring evening.

Thank you very much.