DPRK-Germany Relations: An Ambassador's Perspective of Diplomacy with Pyongyang

The Federal Republic of Germany officially established relations with North Korea in 2001, but the formerly divided Germany has a long history with the North, with roots in the Cold War. Today, Germany strongly supports multilateral efforts on North Korean denuclearization and has facilitated both public and private humanitarian assistance and education and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Join the National Committee on North Korea and the East-West Center in Washington for a conversation with Ambassador Thomas Schaefer to hear key insights about the evolution of German-DPRK relations, his experience having served as German Ambassador to North Korea twice, and his perspective on the future of German-DPRK relations.

Featuring:
Ambassador Thomas Schaefer
Former German Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2007-10 and 2013-18)
Author of From Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un: How the Hardliners Prevailed: On the Political History of North Korea

Ms. Esther S. Im (Moderator)
Program Manager, National Committee on North Korea

Dr. Satu Limaye (Opening Remarks)
Vice President of East-West Center & Director of Research and EWC in Washington

This North Korea in the World webinar is the fifth in a series examining North Korea's historical and contemporary relations with countries in Europe and how those countries navigate relations between the United States, South Korea, and North Korea. How do these countries manage to walk the 38th parallel? How successful are they, and what can we learn from it? It follows a prior North Korea in the World webinar series on North Korea’s relations with countries across the Global South. The North Korea in the World project is a joint initiative of the National Committee on North Korea and the East-West Center in Washington; the NorthKoreaInTheWorld.org website collects and curates information and data on North Korea’s external economic and diplomatic relations.