By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee 

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met with Wilfried Georg Schmidt, German Ambassador to South Korea, in the Speaker's Office on June 27, 2025.

At the meeting, Speaker Woo said, “The two countries share the values of the rule of law and democracy and are core allies that have experienced the pain of division.”

He added, “In particular, in the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea provided the labor force necessary for Germany’s economic reconstruction through German miners and nurses, and Germany provided financial and technical support to South Korea, creating a historical experience in which the ‘Miracle on the Rhine’ led to the ‘Miracle on the Han River.’”

Woo added, “I spoke with Ambassador Schmidt on the phone immediately after the declaration of martial law, and the support and trust shown by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs toward our democracy at that time was a great comfort. I congratulate Germany on the launch of its new government and parliament, and now that we also have a new government, I look forward to deeper exchanges between the governments and parliaments of both countries.”

Ambassador Schmidt responded, “Without the inspiring efforts of Speaker Woo and others during the state of emergency, there would be no South Korea today.” He added, “Seeing the new president's speech in the National Assembly yesterday, I felt that South Korea has returned to normal.”

He continued, “I am very interested in the role of the National Assembly in the constitutional amendment process and the possibility of cooperation between political parties amid the rapidly changing situation.”