President Park Geun-hye appealed to German business leaders on Thursday to make investments in South Korea, saying the country is linked to major markets around the world through free trade deals and has one of the best information technology infrastructures.

   "If you make investments in South Korea, you can have the entire Northeast Asia as one market and expand into other markets around the world through our broad FTA networks," Park said during a meeting with business leaders of the two countries.

   Park said South Korea has already concluded free trade agreements with 46 countries, and if the ongoing negotiations with China and other emerging markets are concluded, the country would be linked to countries whose combined gross national product amounts to 70 percent of the global GDP.

   She also said the IT infrastructure in South Korea is among the world's best.

   "German companies that have already made investments in South Korea have reaped success and are expanding investments," she said.

"The South Korean government will provide full support for the success of German companies trusting South Korea and making investments."

   Park said that unification between the two Koreas would serve as a growth engine for the global economy, just as Germany is playing the role of a growth engine and a safety pin while leading the slumping European economies after unification.

   "I will make thorough preparations to make sure that Korean unification will be a blessing for all Korean people and contribute to world peace," she said.

   Later Thursday, Park was scheduled to travel to the former East German economic center of Dresden. Park said she will take a look at how the East Germany city transformed itself into an excellent manufacturing center after unification. (Yonhap)