Significance of N.K.-U.K. diplomatic relations

British Foreign Minister Robin Cook formally announced Thursday in Seoul the establishment of a diplomatic relationship with North Korea to the cheers and salutes of many a day prior to the Asia-Europe Meeting.

The formal announcement by Cook has a greater significance than just another establishment of diplomatic relations between a European nation attending the ASEM and North Korea. To North Korea, the establishment of diplomatic ties represents an important fruition of the efforts for improvement of relationship with Europe since the inter-Korean Summit in June.

For Cook to make such a formal announcement not in his home country, Britain, but in Seoul, can be considered a demonstration of the ASEM principle of mutual cooperation toward building ties with the North Korea.

The joint declaration between the two states scheduled for after the ASEM purportedly will contain that a member nation of the ASEM would pursue improvement of relations with North Korea and through various interchanges, including humanitarian aid, economic cooperation and capital investment, would contribute to the peace settlement on the peninsula.

The reason that North Korea agreed to the inter-Korean Summit seems to be that the North Korea realized its hope to reach out to Europe and other nations required a stepping stone offered by the establishment of ties with South Korea.

"The North Korea leadership seems to have realized that without the establishment of ties with Europe, it would not be able to overcome the economic crisis that could lead to the fall of the political structure," a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

North Korea's foreign policy for establishment of ties has been on a fast track from the overture to South Korea, then the United States and finally Europe. The turn of events seems to be a well-orchestrated schedule of progress.

The South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung's visit to the North led to the meeting and exchange of visits and agreements by the North Korean First Vice Chairman Cho Myung-Rok and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Then, her planned visit to the North has led to the improvement of ties with Britain.

As European nations had proclaimed that they would not establish diplomatic relations with the North prior to such a development between North Korea and the United States, the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States was unavoidable. A source in Seoul the government pointed out that the North's formal declaration of opposition to terrorism Oct. 6 through the U.S. State Department also became beneficial to North Korea. Previously, the status of North Korea as a terrorist state had prevented nations such as Britain, Germany, and Italy to pursue improvement of ties with North Korea.

All in all, as the continued improvement of diplomatic relations between North Korea and Europe could lend support to the stability of the region, South Korea also must be supportive. Although some have observed that even as North Korea has been hurriedly establishing various amicable ties, it has been tightening its control of its own citizenry. However, a majority of the people are of the opinion that North Korea also would find it difficult to stave off the forces of change.