EN
The world has expected the reunification of Korea to be accomplished someday, but even experts on Korea were completely surprised to hear about the inter-Korean summit planned for June 2000. The summit was welcomed by the international community with hope that the last vesti ge of the Cold War would be liquidated in this region of the world. The authors intend to demonstrate that despite Koreans' common wish to accomplish the reunification as soon as possible, due to huge political, economic and social differences between the two Koreas the process will be very long. It: may require decades of rapprochement and cost much more than the reunification of much richer Germany.