By Lee Kap-soo

French Ambassador Philippe Bertoux and German Ambassador Georg Schmidt in Seoul commemorated the end of World War I by paying tribute to the victims.

According to the French Embassy in Seoul on Nov. 10, Ambassadors Bertoux and Schmidt attended the 105th World War I Armistice Day ceremony at the War Memorial in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and paid tribute to the victims. The event commemorates the 105th anniversary of the end of World War I the following day.

Ambassador Bertoux said it was meaningful to co-host the ceremony with his German counterpart.

"The deep friendship that links our two reconciled nations has been the cornerstone of an unbreakable relationship that links France and Germany at the heart of the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for more than 60 years," he said.

"In 1914, one in two Frenchmen aged 19-32 did not survive the end of the war," said Ambassador Schmidt, "while in Germany, 35% of young men lost their lives."

"It is a very special moment to hold this memorial service together with France," he added.

Both ambassadors emphasized the importance of alliances based on shared principles and common values, which are shared by South Korea and the other countries in attendance.

The ceremony was attended by the two ambassadors, diplomats, military delegations from France, South Korea, and allied countries, Kang Yoon-jin, veterans' policy officer at the Ministry of National Veterans Affairs, and French-German community members.