German defence minister visits Korean DMZ, ends Asia trip

Apr 21, 2007, 11:43 GMT

Seoul - German Defence Minsiter Franz Josef Jung visited the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea Saturday before flying back to Germany at the end of an Asian trip that has included China and Japan.

After visiting the so-called 'truce village' of Panmunjom that straddles the military demarcation line between the two parts of the Korean peninsula, Jung said he wished that the tensions between the two neighbours would ease and that 'the people's desire for freedom would lead to a peaceful settlement.'

While at the border, Jung said that he was reminded of Germany before it was reunited.

'One thousand three hundred people have died here, by us it was also 1,000 people, and we were fortunate to achieve unity, peace and freedom,' said Jung, who had held talks Friday with the South Korean government on security cooperation and the situation in Asia.

In a newspaper interview, Jung defended the proposed sale of second-hand Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Seoul amid reservations expressed in South Korea.

The weapons systems being offered were fit for service, Jung told the Joongang Ilbo newspaper in its Saturday edition.

'Germany introduced its first Patriot missiles in 1989 and the missiles will be deployed at least until 2025,' Jung said.

Seoul is currently negotiating with Berlin over the cost of 48 Patriot missiles, the newspaper said.

They are believed to be worth 1.1 trillion won (872 million euros, 1.2 trillion dollars).

Grass-roots Korean groups have expressed concerns that the second- hand Patriot missiles are obsolete and not suited for service.

Jung said Friday that his trip to Asia had been positive. The countries (China, Japan and South Korea) had a common security interest with Germany, he said.

Referring to the row over North Korea's controversial nuclear programme, Jung said that there was a great consensus on making a contribution to nuclear disarmament.