DPRK. Foreign politics. Working relations with the strong state.
The DPRK has activated a lot of political and commercial relations around the world.
In June 1999 high level officials of Democratic People´s Republic of Korea and People´s Republic of China had a meeting. They undesigned a pact of mutual aid. USA´s effort so flatter north Korea during the fiasco of the war in Yugoslavia led just to the opposite result.
In October 1999 Democratic People´s Republic of Korea and People´s Republic of China have normalized their mutual diplomatic, political and economic relations.
In June 2000 a top meeting between Democratic People´s Republic of Korea and People´s Republic of China came true when Kim Jong Il suddenly met Chinese leaders in Beijing. This meeting has general political signifigance and it is remarkable also in military sense.
Russian president visited Pyongayag in July 2000. The visit has special geopolitical signifigance, especially when connected with corresponding Russian visits to India and China. Now there is an agreement of military readiness between Russia and the DPRK. This pact makes it possible for north Korea to diminish their own missile projects. The Russia - DPRK economic co-operation will rise to new remarkable level in 2001. There are important common interests in forestry and in different technical education projects. Russia supplies oil to north Norea.
In January 2000 the DPRK has established diplomatic relations with Italy. DPRK has diplomatic relations among other European countries also with Sweden. In March 2000 the relations between DPRK and Sweden have been developed further in foreing ministry level meetings. Canada and New Zealand recognized DPRK in July 2000.
In the end of July 2000 north Korea participated the meeting of ASEAN-countries in Bangkok.
DPRK and People´s Democractic Republic of Vietnam instensified their co-operation in a minister-level meeting in August 2000.
The UK Embassy was opened in Pyongyang in July 2001.
Diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Netherlands came true in January 2001, with Canada and Spain in February 2001, with Brazil and New Zealand in March 2001, with Kuwait in April 2001, with Bahrain in May 2011. Relations between Czechoslovakia and DPRK have been updated by a new agreement between Slovakia and the DPRK.
EU delegation visited Pyongyang in February 2001. In March 2001 diplomatic relations with Germany, Luxembourg and Greece are facts. There are now diplomatic relations with thirteen EU-countries. The EU delegation led by Patrick Van Haute, director of the department for Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of Belgium which chairs the EU, visited Pyongyang in October 2001 to discuss the issue of the development of the relations between the DPRK and the EU.
Top level EU- delegation´s visit to the DPRK in May 2001 has special signifigance. By new commercial and diplomatic relations with EU and EU-countries it is possible to break further the commercial embargo farbricated by the US. Hence this incident pushes undirectly forward also the reunification process. In the talks between the EU and the DPRK the principle of self-determination has been emphasized.
The European Union decided to establish diplomatic relations with the DPRK at a meeting of foreign ministers held in Brussels on May 14 and officially informed the DPRK of it, said the spokesman of the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an answer given to a question raised by KCNA on May 16th, 2001.
Talks were held on May 9th 2001 in Pyongyang between the delegations of the Workers' Party of Korea and the People's Democratic Party of Nigeria. At the talks both sides informed each other of their parties' activities and exchanged views on the need to develop the friendly relations between the two parties and a series of issues of mutual concern. An agreement on bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and technology was signed in Pyongyang in June 2001 between the DPRK and Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Gombe state government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A Nigerian parliamentary delegation headed by president of the Senate Anyim Pius Anyim arrived in Pyongyang in the end of July 2001.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Turkey have decided to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level in June 2001.
The Korean - Australian joint press statement said in June 2001 that the DPRK would open its embassy in Canberra in 2001 and Australia its embassy in Pyongyang in the fiscal year 2002/2003.
General Secretary of the Workers' Party and Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong Il On July 1st, 2001 attended the banquet given by Chinese Ambassador Wang Guozhang to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
New forms of foreign trade. Premier of the DPRK cabinet had a talk with the delegation of the Swiss ABB ltd. headed by its senior group officer Sune Karlsson on a visit to the DPRK at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in June 2001. Several German trade delegations have visited north Korea in 2000 - 2003.
An agreement on establishment of a friendly city between Wonsan, Kangwon Province, the DPRK, and Puebla, Puebla state, the United States of Mexico was inked in the beginning if August 2001.
British commercial delegation visited DPRK in August 2001.
Chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and conversed with the French delegation in September 2001 of members of the parliament of different political parties headed by Christian Martin.
The DPRK condemned with strong words the terror attacks in September 2001 in USA. Yet the DPRK includes into the concept "terrorism" all types of terrorist activities, also state terrorism. DPRK signs the international convention against terrorism. Yet north Korea does not accept any kind of orders from USA.
The European Commission said on March 4th, 2002 that it has approved a policy document for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea which sets out the framework for a two-year period of technical cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the DPRK. In addition to existing assistance programs, a further indicative budget of 15 million euros (13 million U.S. dollars) is planned for the period 2002-2004 in the DPRK.
An inter-governmental agreement on cultural cooperation between the DPRK and Malaysia and an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding on the use of credit for Malaysia's export of palm oil to the DPRK were signed in Pyongyang in March 2002.
An agreement on cooperation between the DPRK ministry of city management and the Kuwait fund for Arab economic development was signed at the People's Palace of Culture on March 28.
The chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the German-Korean parliamentary friendship group led by chairman Hartmut Koschyk, member of the German bundestag in May 2002.
The DPRK and Indonesia have developed their mutual relations and signed commercial agreements in summer 2002.
July 25th, 2002. President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the visiting Spanish economic delegation.
A 2002-2003 protocol on scientific and technological cooperation was signed between the DPRK Academy of Sciences and the Tesco International Cooperation and Consulting Services Company of Hungary in Budapest on July 24, 2002.
Japanese Foreign Minister met her counterpart from Pyongyang on the sidelines of a regional security forum to be held in Brunei on July 31st, 2002. Asian ministers rounded off the annual security talks with their Western counterparts with Pyongyang's active diplomacy stealing the spotlight at the one-day gathering.
In the Brunei summit DPRK´s relations with other Asian countries and with the UN were briskly promoted. Relations with China were especially emphasized. Discussions with representatives of the EU took place, too.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United Nations Command (UNC) held a military generals meeting at the truce village of Pamjumjom in the beginning of August 2002.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea decided to participate in the14th Asian Games in 2002 South Korea's city Busan.
The DPRK Red Cross Society and the Japan Red Cross held talks in Pyongyang on August 18 and 19, 2002.
A DPRK delegation visited in August 2002 Namibia, Angola and South Africa and participated the world summit on sustainable development held in South Africa.
Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the DPRK in September 2002 to meet and have talks with Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK. Kim Jong Il wants to establish good relations with Japan. However, the previous crimes by Japanese soldiers against Korean people should be confessed.
The results of the talks between Kim Jong Il and Junichiro Koizumi succeeced better than ever expected. Japan expressed sincere apologies for the crimes of Japanese colony era in Korea. Japan promised also monetary compensations. The DPRK regretted previous mishandlings against Japanese nationals. The DPRK promised to freeze her missile test program beyond 2003. Relations between the DPRK and Japan will be normalized quickly on the contemporary basis. Unfortunaltely, the talk tackled in the end of 2002.
US special envoy´s visited in the DPRK in October 2002. Yet Bush regime´s representative approached north Korea as an enemy state. Hence the visit had no constrictive signifigance. Just on the contrary. After the visit US envoy James Kelley spreaded lies of the talks.
On March 1st, 2003 Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk with Glyn Ford, member of the European parliament from the British Labor Party, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
In April 2003 a DPRK diplomatic delegation visited England. A ceremony for opening the DPRK embassy in Britain was held in London on April 30th, 2003.
A seminar between the DPRK and the EU was held in London on May 9th, 2003.
Micheline Kalmy-rey, chief of the Federal Department of the Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, and her party visited Pyongyang in May 2003.
In June 2003 A DPRK delegation participated the 10th ministerial meeting of the Asian Regional Forum in Cambodia.
In September 2003 a Ugandan state delegation headed by Vice-President Bukenya Gilbert Balibaseka participated in Pyongyang in celebrations of the 55th anniversary of the DPRK.
Caroline Anne Cox, vice-president of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and her party visited the DPRK on September 2003.
In September 2003 Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Syrian Foreign Ministry headed by Vice Foreign Minister Issa Darwish at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
A protocol of the 4th meeting of the Sub-Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Committee for Trade, Economic and Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the Governments of the DPRK and Russia was inked in Pyongyang on Sept. 21th 2003.
Glyn Ford, member of the European Parliament from the British Labour Party, and his party visited the DPRK in October 2003.
German and British Members of Parliament visited the DPRK in the turn of October -November 2003.
November 17th, 2003. A political dialogue between the delegations of the foreign ministries of the DPRK and Switzerland was held in Pyongyang. Discussed at the dialogue were the issue of steadily deepening and developing the bilateral relations and other matters of mutual concern.
A delegation of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by Anders Liden, general director of the Political Affairs visited the DPRK in November 2003.
In December 2003 a delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea headed by Kim Yong Dae, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, participated the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva. It was seen off at the airport by Kim Yun Hyok, secretary general of the SPA Presidium, and Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK.
DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun met and had a friendly talk with Nana Sutresna, councilor to the president of the Republic of Indonesia who is a special envoy of the president, and his party who paid a courtesy call on him on December 9th, 2003. Present there were officials concerned and the Indonesian charge d'affaires ad interim to the DPRK.
A political dialogue was held here on Dec. 10th, 2003 in Pyongyang between a delegation of the DPRK Foreign Ministry and a Troika delegation of the European Union. Present there on the DPRK side were members of the Foreign Ministry delegation led by Director Kim Chun Guk and on the opposite side were members of the Troika delegation of the European Union led by Guido Martini, director general of the Foreign Ministry of Italy which is the present EU chair state, and Swedish, German and British diplomatic envoys here. Discussed at the dialogue were matters of mutual concern including bilateral relations.
In December 2003 diplomatic relations were established between DPRK and Ireland.
February 2nd, 2004. Foreign Minister of the DPRK Paek Nam Sun met and conversed with a delegation of the Foreign Ministry of Australia headed by A. Murray Mclean, who is special envoy of the foreign minister of Australia, which paid a courtesy call on him on Feb.2. Earlier, talks were held between Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Australian delegation. Views were exchanged on the nuclear issue and the bilateral relations at the conversation and talks.
A delegation of members of the European Parliamentary Assembly from political parties led by Jacques Santer, who is former president of the European Commission, visited the DPRK on Februay 21st - 22nd, 2004.
A delegation of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK led by its Chairman Choe Thae Bok paid a visit to Britain on March 16th - 20th, 2004.
April 8th, 2004. An agreement on air lines between the governments of the DPRK and the Czech Republic was signed in Pyongyang.
April 12th, 2004. His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk of the Kingdom of Cambodia arrived here by a special plane this morning to pay a goodwill visit to the DPRK on the occasion of the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
May 13th, 2004. The DPRK and San Marino opened diplomatic relations at ambassador level on the basis of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, prompted by the common desire to boost the friendly relations between the two countries.
May 17th, 2004. ( Chae Thae Bok, chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly conversation with a delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland led by Vice-Minister Boguslaw Zaleski at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on May 17. It was also met by Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun.
June 12th, 2004. Ro Tu Chol, vice-premier of the DPRK Cabinet, met and had a friendly conversation with Peter Zuellig, chief executive of the Interpacific of Switzerland, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Friday. On hand were Rim Kyong Man, minister of Foreign Trade, and officials concerned.
July 6th, 2004. (Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with Walter Fust, director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Tuesday. Present there were Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, and Ueli Muller, resident coordinator of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
August 2nd, 2004. Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, received "The Grand Cross Order of the Kingdom of Cambodia" and "The Grand Necklace Order for National Independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia", the highest orders of the Kingdom of Cambodia. An awarding ceremony was held on July 31.
In August 2004 Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer visited the DPRK.
In September 2004 both Swiss and English official delegations visited the DPRK.
In November 2004 Japanese governmental delegation made a working visit to the DPRK.
In November 2004 An EU Troika - Germany, Sweden and Poland - visited the DPRK.
November 2004. Chairman of the UN General Assembly Jean Ping, minister of State and concurrently minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophone of the Republic of Gabon, visited the DPRK.
December 2004. Mongolian president Natsagyn Bagabandi visited the DPRK. Cooperation and friendship between the two countries were boosted on practical level.
March 2005. A delegation of the Swedish Foreign Ministry headed by Eva Walder-Brundin, deputy director general for Political Affairs and director of the Department for Asia and the Pacific of the ministry, visited the DPRK.
In Mach 2005 the delegation of DPRK people´s supreme council participated the 117th international parliamentary meeting in Philippines.
In April 2005 a German paliamentary delegation visited Pyongyang.
In April 2005 a Norwegian foreign ministry delegeation visited Pyongyang.
In May 2005 the delegation of DPRK land and sea transport ministry visited Syria.
In May 2005 a Mongolian minister-level delegation visited Pyongyang.
In May 2005 Lubomir Zauralek, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, visited the DPRK upon the invitation of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.
July 2005. A delegation of the Italian Foreign Ministry led by its Vice-Minister Margherita Boniver visited the DPRK.
Jyly 2005. The delegations of DPRK People´s Supreme Council and European Parliament had friendly talks in Pyongyang.
October 2005. A high level DPRK delegation visited Mongolia.
October 2005. A group representing high level of the British Labor Party visited the DPRK.
October 2005. A Nigerian governmental delegation visited the DPRK.
December 2005. Political advicer of Swedish Prime Minister visited th DPRK:
February 2006. Special envoy of the Indonesian President visited the DPRK:
May 2006. The DPRK and India inked in New Delhi governmental information coopreation agreement.
May 2006. A Nigerian governmental delegation visited the DPRK.
May 2006. A Ugandan military delegation visited the DPRK.
May 2006. Malaysian foreign minister visited the DPRK.
May 2006. The DPRK and Brazil inked a commercial cooperation agreement.
June 2006. Slovak foreign ministry delegation visited the DPRK.
September 2006. DPRK and Mongolia inked a general level coopreation agreement.
March 2007. A high level European Union delegation visited the DPRK.
March 2007. Australian governmental commercial delegation visited Pjongjang.
April 2007. The DPRK inked cultural exchange agreements with Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia and Nigeria.
May 2007. D. Tsogtbaatar, advisor for Foreign Policy to the President of Mongolia, visited Pyongyang.
May 2007. A British media delegation visited Pyongyang.
May 2007. Turkish, Albanian and Irish foreign ministry delegations visited Pyongyang.
May 2007. Swiss foreign ministry delagation visisted Pyongyang.
June 2007. A DPRK legislative delegation visited Nigeria.
June 2007. A German parliamentary delegation visited Pyongyang.
June 2007. Foreign Minister of Philippines visited Pyongyang.
June 2007. South African governmental delegation visited Pyongyang.
June 2007. A delegation of the EU parliament visited Pyongyang.
July 2007. The DPRK and Montenegro establishled diplomatic ties.
July 2007. A DPRK delegation visited Egypt, Algeria and Etiopia.
August 2007. A DPRK delegation participated ASEAN meeting in Philippines.
August 2007. The DPRK and Philippines inked an agreement on bilateral negotiation processes.
August 2007. A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation visited the DPRK.
August 2007. A high level DPRK delegation visited Singapore.
August 2007. DPRK delegations visited Iran, Syria, Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia.
August 2007. A Polish Foreign Ministry delegation visited the DPRK.
September 2007. A delegation of Italian foreign ministry visited the DPRK.
September 2007. During the 62th United Nations General Assembly meeting the DKRK inked diplomatic relations with Swaziland, Guatemala and Dominica.
October 2007. A commercial Mongolian government delegation visited the DPRK.
October 2007. A Singaporean commercial delegation visited Pyongyang.
October 2007. A DPRK SPA delegation visited Italy and Syria.
October 2007. A parliamentary delegation of the European Union visited Pyongyang.
November 2007. FM of New Zealand visited Pyongyang.
January 2008. Brazil and the DPRK established friendship relations between the highest legislative bodies.
February 2008. Mongolian governmental commercial delegation visited the DPRK.
February 2008. A delegation of the French Foreign Ministry visited the DPRK.
March 2008. Kim Yong Nam, Chairman of the presidium of the supreme soviet of the DPRK, visited Namibia, Angola, Congo and Uganda.
March 2008. A delegation of Workers´ Party of Korea visited India and Iran.
March 2008. An unofficial delegation of the EU visited Pyongyang.
March 2008. An official Brazilian foreign ministry delegation visited Pyongyang.
May 2008. Foreign minister of Singapore visited Pyongyang.
May - June 2008. A delegation of Workers´ Party of Korea visited Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium and Greece.
June 2008. A EU delegation visited the DPRK.
July 2008. A political delegation from Luxemburg visited the DPRK.
July 2008. The DPRK Foreign Minister visited Singapore when participating the meeting of ASEAN-countries. The DPRK and the ASEAN-countries signed treaty of mutual friendship and cooperation.
October 2008. A delegation of Thai foreign ministry visited the DPRK.
October 2008. Foreign Minister of Poland visited the DPRK.
October 2008. Foreign Minister of the DPRK visited Russia.
October 2008. A delegation of Bulgarian foreign ministry visited the DPRK.
November 2008. Mongolian defence and government delegation visited the DPRK.
November 2008. Government delegation of Dominican Republic visited the DPRK.
November 2008. A high level Yemeni delegation visted the DPRK.
December 2008. The DPRK and Singapore signed investment agreement and commercial cooperation agreement.
December 2008. The DPRK and Czech Republic signed cooperation agreements for education and investments.
January 2009. A delegation of Workers´ Party of Korea visited Britain.
February 2009. British parliamentary delegation visited the DPRK.
May 2009. High ranking North Korean decisionmakers visited Singapore, South Africa and Peru.
May 2009. Norwegian Foreign Ministry delegation visited the DPRK.
May 2009. Indonesian parliamentary delegation visited the DPRK.
May 2009. Delegation of a British TV-channel visited the DPRK.
June 2009. Delegation of Egypt Foreign Ministry visited the DPRK:
July 2009. Thai Foreign Ministry delegation visited Pyongyang.
KOMINFORM