Australia–North Korea relations

Australia-North Korea relations are the current and historical bilateral relations between the two countries. Generally the relations are stressed due to North Korea nuclear program.

History

Australia and North Korea first established diplomatic ties in 1974. But the following year Pyongyang inexplicably expelled Australia's ambassador and shut its embassy in Canberra after a short stay of 11 months. In February 1998 Pyongyang's Ambassador to Indonesia visited Canberra and held talks with officials. Further bilateral talks were held in Bangkok in June 1999, and in September 1999 Foreign Minister Alexander Downer met his counterpart from the DPRK, Paek Nam-sun, in New York. On the North Korean side the greatest concern was attracting new Australian trade and investment. The Australian interlocutors used these occasions to remind North Korea of its responsibilities to take steps to mitigate tensions on the Korean peninsula and to respond to concerns regarding weapons proliferation.^[1]

Since North Korea conducted a nuclear test in October 2006, Australian entry visas have not been issued for DPRK citizens and North Korean ships have been banned from Australian ports. Most bilateral cooperation with the country has been put on hold by the Australian side "until the nuclear-weapon crisis is resolved".^[2]

In January 2008 North Korea closed its embassy in Canberra.

Economic relations

In 2007 import figures vacillated between AUD $6 and $11million and were made up of chemical elements for use in electronics, copper, civil engineering equipment, household equipment, hydrocarbons and derivatives, textile yarns and fabrics, iron, steel, and chemicals. North Korea ranked a modest 125th in the order of Australia's trading partners.

References

1. ^ Will Australia help North Korea?, Leonid A. Petrov
2. ^ Will Australia help North Korea?, Leonid A. Petrov