NZ to open ties with N.K. late Feb.

North Korea and New Zealand will open diplomatic relations as early as late February, a diplomatic source said Friday. The source in Seoul said the two countries had completed negotiations on normalizing ties and were awaiting formal approval from their foreign ministers. A joint announcement by ambassadors is expected in early March, the source said. New Zealand would become the 143rd nation to set up diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. North Korea formed relations with the Netherlands on Jan. 15, Belgium on Jan. 23, Canada on Feb. 6 and Spain on Feb. 7.

Boo Hyung-Kwon bookum90@donga.com