Ex-Chancellor Schroeder’s Wife Fired for Visiting Russian Embassy Party

The wife of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has been fired from her job as a sales representative for a German state-owned business agency over her attendance at a Victory Day reception at the Russian embassy in Berlin.

The employment relationship between Soen Schroeder-Kim and NRW.Global Business was terminated “without prior notice and with immediate effect,” a spokesman for the Economy Ministry of the West German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said on May 16.

“NRW.Global Business has repeatedly pointed out to Ms. Schroeder-Kim that representatives should not speak out publicly on politically sensitive issues, especially regarding Russian aggression in Ukraine,” said Mona Neubauer, spokeswoman for North Rhine-Westphalia’s economy minister.

Leaked pictures showed Schroeder and his wife attending a reception at the Russian embassy in Berlin on May 9, prompting further criticism of the disgraced former Social Democrat head of government. Schroeder has refused to deny his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and business ties with Russia, despite the Kremlin's attack on Ukraine. Furthermore, he called the war a “mistake” and justified it with “Russia’s fear of being surrounded by NATO.”

Schroeder-Kim, 55, worked as South Korea’s representative to the North Rhine-Westphalia foreign trade promotion agency for 11 years – a position still listed on her LinkedIn profile on Tuesday.

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Several other German politicians attended a reception at the Russian embassy in Berlin on May 9 to mark Victory Day. Among them was the leader of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany, Tino Hrupalla.