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[Anchor]
The mayor of Berlin, Germany, has expressed his intention to resolve the conflict surrounding the Peace Statue issue with the Japanese Foreign Minister.
German civic groups have stated that they will actively respond to remarks indicating a plan to remove the Peace Statue.
This is reporter Park Seok-ho.
[Report]
Kai Wegner, the Mayor of Berlin, who visited Japan, announced his intention to resolve the issue of the Peace Statue installed in Berlin.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the twin city partnership between Berlin and Tokyo, Mayor Wegner, who met with Japanese Foreign Minister Kamekawa Yoko, stated that it is important to bring about change.
Mayor Wegner stated that while he supports monuments against violence, there should not be any unilateral expressions anymore.
He promised to involve the German-hosted Japanese ambassador in discussions related to the Peace Statue.
Such remarks are interpreted as accepting the Japanese government’s claim that statues located around the world represent South Korea’s unilateral position.
In response to the remarks of the Mayor of Berlin, the Korea Conference of Germany, a Korean civic group, protested against Berlin’s capitulation to pressure from the Japanese government.
The Korea Conference emphasized that the Peace Statue opposes sexual violence occurring in conflict areas as a universal monument.
The Berlin Peace Statue was ordered to be dismantled by the local Mitte district office in October 2020, but the order was suspended due to an interim application by the Korea Conference.
The Mitte District Council has subsequently adopted several resolutions to maintain the statue, and the Mitte District Office extended the installation permit for two years in November 2022.
The Korea Conference announced that they will actively respond to preserving the Peace Statue by holding overnight discussions with German civil society organizations on the ‘Global Day of Expulsion of Sexual Violence’ on the 19th of next month.
KBS News, Reporter Park Seok-ho.
Video Editing: Kim Eun-joo
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