Korean-German Relations from the 1950s to the 1980s: Archive-Based Approach to Cold War-Era History

Abstract

This chapter explores transnational relations within the two Cold War blocs (South Korea–West Germany and North Korea–East Germany) from the 1950s to the 1980s, using archival material at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin. First, Seong discusses postwar political and diplomatic relations between South Korea and West Germany, focusing on the East Berlin Espionage Affair in the late 1960s. Secondly, he covers also political and diplomatic relations between the former German Democratic Republic and North Korea from the 1950s to the 1980s. Although the GDR provided substantial assistance to North Korea, between the years 1958 and 1960 Kim Il Sung began to limit cooperation with East Germany and other socialist states. This chapter also discusses the different diplomatic strategies between the two countries in handling the unification policies, which also highlighted problems between South and North Korea at the time.