SEOUL. Mar 2: German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and newly inaugurated President Kim Young-Sam met today and discussed Germany's bid to secure the contract for South Korea's multibillion dollar highspeed train. Korean unification and other issues. Seoul officials and press reports said, according to AFP.

Kohl, who arrived In South

Korea Monday on an official three-day visit, was quoted by Yonhap news agency as expressing interest in South Korea's multibillion dollar Seoul-Pusan highspeed railway protect, for 'which Siemens, builder of Germany's Inter-City Express (ICE), Is competing against a French and a Japanese company

"Wc hope Germany will increase Its investment lo South Koren and will increase cooperation In basic sciences and high tech fields, Kim. who took office last week, was quoted as saying.

Both leaders agreed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as bilateral inter-Korean nuclear Inspections, were necessary to clear up fears that North Koren Is pressing ahead with a nuclear weapons programme. a Seoul official said.

Kohl briefed Kim on Germany's unification process, explaining that the most important thing was for South Korea to maintain its own political and economic stability and pursue exchanges with the North. Yonhap said.