75 YEARS SINCE OUTBREAK OF KOREAN WAR

Hello.

You're watching Press Perspective for this Wednesday June 25th here in Seoul.

I'm Min Sunhee.

Today we mark a solemn anniversary that is the start of the outbreak of the Korean War back in 1950.

That being said in this session of panel discussion with our foreign journalists we shed light on cross-border ties.

For more I have Thomas Maresca with American news agency UPI.

Thomas it's great to have you here.

I also have Fabian Kretschmer with the German news agency dpa.

Fabian welcome.

Thomas, Jack James who worked for UPI, like you, was the first foreign journalist to cover North Korea's incursion into South Korea in the wee hours of June 25th 1950.

Could you tell us a bit about the UP journalist Jack James and his broader coverage of the peninsula?

Fabian, I suppose man has yet to learn about the futility of war.

We have a number of raging wars as we speak over in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

Beyond sharing the facts, what is the broader job of a journalist covering a war zone?

Thomas, back here in South Korea.

A recent survey by the Unification Ministry shows four out of ten South Korean school students believe unification with North Korea is unnecessary, and this ratio has been rising steadily over time.

How do you explain this phenomenon?

Fabian, when South Koreans talk about unification with North Korea, they frequently refer to the unification of East and West Germany.

What does history tell us about the sentiments of the Germans just ahead of their reunification?

Thomas, earlier today, President Lee Jae-myung posted a message on his social media platform to mark the solemn anniversary of the start of the Korean War on June 25th in 1950.

What did he say?

Meanwhile, Fabian, the Unification Minister nominee is Chung Dong-young.

What can you tell us about Chung and his potential approach to North Korea?

Thomas, North Korea's Kim Jong-un has ruled out prospects of unification with South Korea, claiming a while back that the constitution will be changed to designate South Korea as the "principal enemy".

Do you envision a shift in this sense of animosity under the new South Korean administration?

Thomas, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently presided over a key party meeting.

What do we know about what was discussed?

Fabian, do you believe civic engagement can serve to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula?

I mean, is there a need to raise civic awareness about matters on the peninsula between the two Koreas and the risks faced amid the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons?

All right.