N.K. Commerce-Industry Chamber Joins ICC

North Korea has its own chamber of commerce and industry, which was confirmed for the first time Sunday.

According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Pyongyang Chamber of Commerce and Industry joined the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) as an official member at the international body`s 33rd World congress held in Budapest, Hungary in May.

The ICC is a civilian organization that was established in Paris in 1919. The group aims to promote friendships between international economic figures and allow them to exchange opinions. It holds a World congress every three years and now has about 130 member countries, including the Republic of Korea.

North Korea¡¯s entry into the ICC seems to be aimed at collecting information about international trade and industry and expanding economic cooperation with the international community.

An NIS official analyzed that North Korea apparently set up the chamber of commerce in order to use it as a window for economic cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea, which are now seeking to visit the North to promote the expansion of joint economic activities.