Johannesburg: President Lee Jae Myung has urged German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to share Germany's insights on overcoming division and achieving reunification, during their discussions at the Group of 20 summit in South Africa on Saturday. This request comes as President Lee's administration aims to revive engagement with North Korea and reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, efforts that have so far been met with silence from Pyongyang.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee emphasized the importance of learning from Germany's experience, highlighting that South Korea should follow a similar path to overcome its own division. "There is much for the Republic of Korea to learn from Germany's experience," Lee stated, referring to South Korea's official name.

In a lighter moment, when President Lee inquired if Germany possessed any "secret know-how" on reunification, Chancellor Merz clarified that no such secret exists. He acknowledged the robust bilateral relationship between South Korea and Germany and expressed a desire to further strengthen cooperation between the two nations.

Chancellor Merz also conveyed his interest in the security dynamics of the Korean Peninsula and its neighboring regions. Furthermore, he expressed a willingness to understand South Korea's perspective on China, as Germany contemplates its strategy regarding the Asian superpower.