Dutch ambassador here to serve concurrently in P`yang

The Netherlands will have its ambassador to Seoul concurrently serve as envoy to Pyongyang, a government official said Thursday. North Korea accepted, in principle, a Dutch request that its ambassador to Seoul also hold the ambassadorial post in Pyongyang. The official said the agreement was made in Amsterdam on Dec. 19-20, during bilateral talks on the establishment of diplomatic ties.

The British government decided in December last year to station a charge d'affaires in Seoul to handle North Korean affairs until its embassy opens in Pyongyang. The Dutch government's decision is different in nature from that of the British charge d'affaires in that its ambassador will handle all diplomatic matters related to the entire Korean peninsula.

Germany, Spain, Belgium and other European countries, which are now in negotiations with North Korea on the establishment of diplomatic relations, are expected to follow the Dutch example.