Merz visits Korean border, hopes two sides can reunify like Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recalled Germany's reunification 36 years ago during a visit to the inter-Korean border on Friday, saying he hoped Korea would one day also reunify.

He spoke on the sidelines of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), after a stop at the demarcation line between the two Korean states. "Let us hope that Korea too gets the chance one day to regain state unity," he said.

"You can also notice it here at this place, how much a country suffers from division and how strong the desire is for reunification, at least in this part of the Korean Peninsula."

Merz added that he had also been asked several times about Germany's experience of reunification during his talks in Seoul.

Demilitarized zone between the two states

The Korean Peninsula has been divided since the Korean War (1950-53). North Korea is ruled by authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un, while the South is a democracy.

A 248-kilometre border runs along the 38th parallel across the peninsula, with a demilitarized zone around 2 kilometres wide.

Merz visited one of the iconic blue barracks, through the middle of which the border runs. Whenever North and South Korea hold direct talks, they do so there. It was in this location in 2018 that then South Korean president Moon Jae In and Kim shook hands.

It was the first time a North Korean leader had set foot on South Korean soil, if only for a few steps. 

Merz also briefly stood on the North Korean side inside the barracks. Crossing the inter-Korean border is possible only at this spot.