Former President Kim D.J. 
Receives Grand Cross Medal
from Germany

The German government presented its Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to former President Kim Dae-jung, the German Embassy in Seoul said June 12.
The medal was presented to the former Korean president, the Nobel Peace prize winner, by German Ambassador to Korea Michael Geier on behalf of German President Horst Koehler at a ceremony held at the Shilla Hotel.
The embassy noted that the former Korean president thought of by Germans as the symbol of democratization of Korea and a leader who did his best to ease tension between the two Koreas.
The German diplomatic mission said the Korean political leader is widely known as the one who delivered a speech at Berlin Free University on basic concepts and the direction of his "sunshine" policy in March, 2000, which is also remembered as the ?erlin declaration."The embassy said in a statement that the Korean former president contributed to a deep understanding of Germany among Koreans from his long experience in politics, economics and social matters helped forging close relations between Korea and Germany.
"The medal was presented to him in recognition of his impressive achievement including his ceaseless work for close Korean and German relations,"the embassy said. nw

Former President Kim Dae-jung receives a medal from German Ambassador to Korea Michael Geier.