[Diplomacy] Rush in rapprochement between Europe and North Korea

Of late, European nations are speedily establishing diplomatic relations with North Korea. The Netherlands set up diplomatic ties with Pyongyang on Jan. 15, Belgium on Jan. 23 and Canada on Feb. 6. This was followed by Spain`s rapprochement with the North on Feb. 7.

Among these, some European nations installed separate embassies in the North Korean capital, while some others have decided to appoint ambassadors to Beijing or Seoul as concurrent envoys to Pyongyang.

Nations maintaining separate ambassadors:

Britain and Germany have appointed ambassadors in sole charge of North Korea. Germany decided to establish diplomatic relations with the North in a cabinet meeting Jan. 24, while Britain set up ties with it late last year.

Germany has favorable conditions for maintaining an independent embassy. This is because the former East German embassy building remains in Munsu-dong, Pyongyang. After East Germany withdrew its embassy from the North Korean capital following the unification of the two Germanies, the embassy building was vacated for some time. In 1993, Sweden took a lease of the building and using it as its embassy ever since. The related German officials said that the vicinity of Munsu-dong, where the German embassy is located, is expected to be developed as a foreign diplomatic complex, as there still are its ambassador`s residence, school, swimming pool and apartments for diplomats.

Britain has appointed an acting ambassador to North Korea. The envoy is currently visiting Pyongyang and preparing the opening of an embassy there.

Nations sending concurrent envoys to NK:

The Netherlands and Belgium are to maintain concurrent ambassadors in Pyongyang. From the beginning of diplomatic negotiations with the North, these countries put forward a condition for their establishment of diplomatic relations, that is, their appointment of concurrent ambassadors, who are also assigned to Seoul.

Another condition is that Pyongyang does not maintain its embassies in the two European nations. Such a diplomatic practice was never imaginable under the Cold-War era.

The Netherlands marked the first time for a Western country to set up formal relations with the communist state under this kind of terms.

Meanwhile, North Korea wanted to install its diplomatic mission in Brussels, Belgium, where the European Union headquarters are located, but the bilateral negotiations failed to make progress, as the North Korean side refused to accept the aforesaid conditions, and eventually the Pyongyang negotiators withdrew from Belgium last December. But after a few days, the North, changing its policy, notified Brussels of its compliance with the preconditions. Pyongyang might have advanced the diplomatic rapprochement, apparently prompted by the inauguration of the conservative George W. Bush administration.

Nations that appoint envoys to China as concurrent ones to the North:

Three nations, Israel, Sweden and Canada, fall in this category. They are to follow suit of Denmark, which set up ties in 1973. In January, last year, Italy established diplomatic relationship with the North, adopting this formula, to become first Western nation to do so among the Group of Seven members. The Italian government`s official functions such as bilateral negotiations will be performed through its embassy in Beijing. But some working-level business involving the Italian firms` advancement into the North and other economic affairs is expected to be assigned to its ambassador to Seoul.

Canada and Spain, which recently entered into formal ties with Pyongyang, are also known to follow the pattern of the diplomatic functions that Italy is adopting, using their envoys stationed in Seoul and Beijing.

Kwon Ki-Tae kkt@donga.com