Deputy President Jacob Zuma to host Vice President of the Presidium
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Yang Hyong Sop, Wednesday, 16 -
Sunday, 20 March 2005
Pretoria - South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma
will host the Vice President of the Presidium of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, Yang Hyong Sop, who is scheduled to pay an official visit to South Africa
from Wednesday - Sunday, 16 - 20 March 2005.
Vice President Yang Hyong Sop
will be accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon and Director-General
of the Ministry of Trade, Hong Chang IL.
During discussions with Deputy
President Jacob Zuma on Thursday, 17 March 2005 it is expected that the following
issues, among others, will be discussed:
The status of bilateral political
and economic relations between South Africa and the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea;
The operationalisation of the organs of the African Union and
NEPAD as the socio-economic programme of the Continent;
A briefing by
Deputy President Zuma on peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts on the Continent
- including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, the Ivory Coast and
Sudan;
A briefing by Vice President Yang Hyong Sop on the status of the
six-party talks; and
Issues on global interest including developments
in the Middle East, post-election Iraq and the reformation of the United Nations
and all its institutions.
It is expected that an Agreement for Regular
Diplomatic Consultation between the Government of South Africa and the Government
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be signed on conclusion of discussions
between Deputy President Jacob Zuma and Vice President Yang Hyong Sop.
While
in South Africa, Vice President Yang Hyong Sop will also visit the CSIR, the Cullinan
Mine, the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Peterson Memorial and the home of former
President Nelson Mandela in Soweto.
Bilateral Economic Trade Relations
The
bilateral trade between South Africa and North Korea is as follows:
Year
Imports
from N Korea
Exports to N Korea
Total
1999
R18,
355,000
R18, 174,000
R26,
529,000
2000
R17,
493, 000
R8, 348, 000
R25,
841, 000
2001
R8,
881, 000
R9, 020, 000
R17,
901, 000
2002
R13,
271, 000
R72, 748, 000
R86,
019, 000
2003
R455,
000
R39, 489, 000
R39,
944, 000
2004
R1,
049, 000
R498, 000
R1,
547, 000
Exports to North Korea consist mainly of mineral
and chemical products as well as prepared foodstuffs, whilst imports consisted
mainly of textiles and base metals.
North Korea's exports consist of minerals,
metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles and fishery
products. DPRK imports petroleum products, cooking oil, machinery and equipment,
textiles, and grain.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.
Department
of Foreign Affairs Private Bag X152 Pretoria 0001
