1. Upon the passing of former President Richard von Weizsäcker of Germany, the government of the Republic of Korea will send a condolence delegation to the country. The delegation to be led by former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik will visit the country from February 10 through 12 to attend the funeral set to take place in Berlin on February 11.

2. Some 1,400 people from Germany and other countries will attend the funeral of former President von Weizsäcker, who passed away on January 31.

3. Former President von Weizsäcker, who served as President of West Germany at the time of German unification and first President of the unified Germany from 1984 till 1994, is regarded as a politician who led Germany's national integration; held the Nazis accountable for their wrongdoings; and made strong efforts toward reconciliation with neighboring countries of Germany. He made a number of visits to the ROK, including a state visit in 1991, and was interested in and supportive of the envisioned unification of the Korean Peninsula.

◦ At the ceremony in 1985 marking the 40th anniversary of the end of World War II, the former President mentioned in his address that “Anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present.”

4. On February 5, President Park Geun-hye sent a letter of sympathy to President Joachim Gauck to offer condolences over the passing of former President von Weizsäcker. Likewise, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se visited the German Embassy in the ROK on February 4 to pay tribute to the late President. 


               Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation