[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Kwon Young-se, Minister of Unification, said, "I hope that young North Korean defectors will become the second and third Merkels in the future."
According to the Ministry of Unification on the 6th, Minister Kwon made this remark during a meeting with Damon Wilson, Chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and other representatives of U.S. democracy-related organizations at the Government Seoul Office the previous day. He stated, "Supporting North Korean defectors to successfully settle in our society is a major task."
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the only person from East Germany to have become Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Minister Kwon also said, "In our North Korea policy, we prioritize the improvement of human rights and humanitarian conditions of North Korean residents," adding, "We will consistently pursue humanitarian aid regardless of political or military situations and strive for the substantial improvement of human rights for North Korean residents."
Chairman Wilson responded, "Building solidarity and networks with Asian democratic countries such as South Korea is important for the spread of democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region," and expressed hope to "actively cooperate with South Korea's civil society, including young North Korean defector groups, as well as the new government to promote North Korean human rights."
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