North and South Korea

HC Deb 11 February 2002 vol 380 c40W

Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent initiatives have been taken to make progress with rapprochement between North and South Korea. [34907]

Mr. MacShane

The UK supports President Kim Dae Jung's policy of engagement toward North Korea.

President Kim Dae Jung visited the UK as a Guest of Government in December 2001 and discussed north/south relations with the Prime Minister, who reiterated UK support for the rapprochement process. This was followed by a visit by the North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon, during which the Foreign Secretary and I stressed the need for North Korea's record on missile proliferation and human rights remains of great concern. I have recently written to Mr. Choe setting out UK support for north-south rapprochement and urging North Korea to abide by the international norms of diplomatic and political relations between countries.