SEOUL -- Koreans have come to cherish Germany's experiences, as many see this country's unification saga as an important, if not the most important, point of reference. Korea's unification will probably be more difficult and complex than Germany's unification in October 1990. Koreans have one major advantage, however -- they can study German unification developments and avoid mistakes that were committed.

Historically, the most important dissimilarity between Korea and Germany has been the war on the peninsula in the early 1950s. The Korean War was for all practical purposes a civil war. The scars left behind by this conflict remain open and the clash of ideologies has left little room for compromise. Notably, this confrontation has also poisoned domestic politics in the South, with supporters of a reconciliatory approach toward the North poised against followers of a tougher line. The ideological quarrel will heat up once more in the runup to next year's presidential elections.

Germans lived in separation for decades, and were victims of an ideological confrontation. In spite of the fierceness of the Cold War, however, the division between the people was at no time as harsh as has been the case on the Korean Peninsula. There existed many channels of communication, be it by telephone, letters, the media or family visits.