Federal President Joachim Gauck and Daniela Schadt travelled to the Republic of Korea and to Mongolia for state visits from 10 to 16 October.
The visit to South Korea from 10 to 14 October focused on 25 years of German unity and 70 years of Korea’s division. In Seoul the Federal President addressed the South Korean National Assembly. He held political talks with President Park and other high ranking politicians. Further the Federal President opened a German-Korean academic conference. Then he spoke to members of the German-Korean advisory body on foreign policy aspects of reunification. Meetings with North Korean refugees and representatives of South Korea’s civil society were also on the agenda. On the border between North and South Korea, the Federal President opened an exhibition on German unity and visited the Demilitarised Zone.
During his trip to Mongolia from 14 to 16 October the Federal President held political talks with the President and the Chairman of Parliament. Further he met business representatives, religious leaders and representatives of civil society and academia in Ulan Bator. At the German Mongolian University of Applied Sciences for Raw Materials and Technology he met the first generation of students and staff. The visit of an important excavation project run by the German Archaeological Institute, which commenced under the patronage of Federal President Herzog in Karakorum was canceled due to harsh weather conditions.
The Federal President was accompanied on his trip by a business delegation and high ranking German academics.
Overview of the programme:
Saturday, 10 October 2015
Evening
Flight to Seoul
Sunday, 11 October 2015
- Arrival in Seoul
- Tour of Changdeokgung Palace
- Visit to the Korea Furniture Museum
German Ambassador’s Residence
Dinner with representatives of German institutions
Monday, 12 October 2015
Seoul National Cemetery
Wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial Tower in the National Cemetery
Cheong Wa Dae, seat of the President
Welcome with military honours by the President of the Republic of Korea
Talks with the President
Joint press conference
Hotel
Lunch with business people, hosted by the chairpersons of Korean trade associations
National Assembly (Gukhoe)
Talks with the Speaker of the National Assembly
Speech by the Federal President to the National Assembly
Hotel
Talks with representatives of civil society
Cheong Wa Dae
State banquet hosted by the President of the Republic of Korea
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Hotel
Opening of the German-Korean science conference
Seoul City Hall
Talks with the Mayor of Seoul
Awarding of honorary citizenship of Seoul to the Federal President
Foreign Minister’s Residence
Lunch with the advisory body for foreign-policy aspects of reunification
Yeomyung School
Talks with young refugees from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Hotel
Reception hosted by the Federal President and Ms Schadt to mark the 25th anniversary of German unification
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
10.00 am, Dorasan
Opening of an exhibition on reunification and tour of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ)
12.45 pm, Paju
Talks with the CEO of LG
Tour of the plant
Afternoon
Flight from Seoul to Ulan Bator
Thursday, 15 October 2015
Chinggis Square [MESZ +6]
Welcome with military honours by the President of Mongolia
State Palace, State Yurt
Talks with the President of Mongolia in the Government Palace
Joint press conference
State Palace
Talks with the Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia
- Meeting with Mongolian soldiers serving with the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and their German military trainers
Restaurant Monet
Talks with the Prime Minister of Mongolia and business people
- Lunch hosted by the Prime Minister of Mongolia
- Visit to Gandantegchenling Monastery
- Visit to the German-Mongolian University of Applied Sciences for Raw Materials and Technology
Khan Uul Palace
State reception hosted by the President of Mongolia and First Lady Bolormaa in honour of the Federal President and Ms Schadt
Friday, 16 October 2015
Hotel
Talks with representatives of civil society
Canceled due to harsh weather conditions:
Flight to Karakorum
Visit to Erdene Zuu Monastery
Inauguration of the temple platform reconstructed with funding from the German Archaeological Institute
1.25 pm, Munkh Tenger Yurt Camp
Lunch in Karakorum hosted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia
thereafterflight to Ulan Bator
and
thereafter
flight to Berlin