Doctor Rudiger Claus, a German scholar of journalism who is involved in the training of North Korean journalists in Germany, says that if the two Koreas want to unify, they should "understand each other, not about each other." Chairman of the International Journalists Association in Berlin, he himself founded in 1984, Dr. Claus made the remarks in a recent interview with the Chosun Ilbo. He is visiting South Korea under the sponsorship of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: We understand that North Korean journalists underwent an eight-week training course in Germany beginning in March last year.

A: They were two competent reporters, fluent in English, from Radio Pyongyang. They impressed Germans they met in Munich and Cologne, among other cities, who described them as top diplomats. Their initial rigidity abated quite a lot, and I think they've returned home with their perspectives broadened. We intend to invite more North Korean journalists to Germany for training purposes.

Q: You visited North Korea in 1987?

A: As an East German, I found North Korea too different a country, showing signs of terminal Stalinism. I was not shocked, though, because of my prior knowledge about the country. While it may be a merit that the people accommodate their mode of life, I told North Koreans, it seems to be problematic that everything is done in secret and that the country has too many monuments.

Q: Did the East German media contribute towards achieving the German reunification?

A: The media, like the rest in the socialist camp, played merely the role of a trumpeter for the regime. But when the Soviet Union's reform began to be visible in 1984 and 1985, the East German media began to agonize about its authenticity. The media made an earnest contribution in covering the popular uprising in the Alexander Square of Berlin in November 1989, down to the German unification achieved in October the following year. The West German media too endeavored to report the developments in detail, and many were amazed by its specialization and creativity. The media had been suppressed, but not dead, in my view.

Q: Could you compare the North Korean media with that of East Germany?

A: Except for the common phenomenon of 'national division,' they are totally different from each other. Seven countries in Central Europe surrounded East Germany. Though the printed media was controlled, 85% of East German territory had access to West German electronic media, namely TV. Despite different transmission models, dually compatible TV sets were marketed in the East in response to the high public demand for watching West German TV. East German TV stations had to compete with their West German counterparts in arresting the eyes of the population. The media in North Korea functions totally as an ideological arm in a completely closed society. Should the status quo remain unchanged, Pyongyang might not be able to dispatch its correspondents to any country in the world in five years. North Korea too has to open itself up and advance to the world.

Q: Some East German intellectuals have expressed concerns about the unification. What about journalists?

A: The voice of criticism remains even today, but they never harbored suspicion about the unification itself. The media, I think, played a leading role in bringing about 'soft changes' in achieving the bloodless revolution of unification. My son, who was a middle school student at the time, had to remain in his original class a year because of the abrupt unification. Working as a medical doctor now, he works one hour longer than his West German counterparts, but gets about 10% less in wages. But we perceived the unification as something inevitable, and think it important to be patient.

Q: Didn't you experience any language barriers?

A: There were no serious language barriers as we could watch the West German TV for quite a while before unification. As for me, I found it difficult to comprehend the term 'income tax.' The difficulty arose from an abrupt change in our legal system. The situation must be the same between North and South Korea, but I don't think any major differences exist between them.

Q: What do you think about the fact that North Korean media often uses inappropriate vulgar language?

A: I don't know how serious it is, but I'm aware of the practice. What is more problematic is how they perceive the other side, rather than the curses themselves. They apparently regard South Korea as an enemy. Hence human exchanges are more important than anything else, I think. Mutual access was never disrupted between East and West Germany. Separated as I was, I was able to visit West Germany and meet my sister there at any time I wanted to. Contacts are important, and you shouldn't despise the other side because of the different values you cherish.

(Kim Mi-young, miyoung@chosun.com )