German Chancellor Angela Merkel called South Korean president-elect Park Geun-Hye Thursday to congratulate her on her election and invited Park to visit Germany next year.

Merkel's office said in a statement that she and Park, who is to become South Korea's first woman president, had met before and agreed in their telephone call to build on the good relations between their countries.

"The chancellor invited president-elect Park to Germany to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations (between Germany and Korea) in 2013," her office said. "Park accepted the invitation."

Merkel is Germany's first female chancellor and Berlin has in recent years offered Seoul advice based on its experience with national reunification in 1990 in preparation for a possible end to the division on the Korean peninsula.

Park has cited Merkel, who has emerged as arguably Europe's most powerful leader during the eurozone debt crisis, as a role model.

In her first policy address since her historic election Wednesday, Park said earlier she would make no concessions on national security, while pursuing greater engagement with a belligerent North Korea.