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Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad to Host North Korean Counterpart
Vice Minister Kim Hyong Jun for Discussions, 11 July 2006 Pretoria -
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will on Tuesday 11 July 2006 host his counterpart
from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Vice Minister Kim Hyong Jun
for bilateral political and economic discussions at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Discussions
between Deputy Minister Pahad and his counterpart Vice Minister Hyong Jun come
within the context of South Africa's commitment to promote South-South co-operation
for increased market access, trade and investment and consolidation of the developmental
agenda of the South. Vice President of the Presidium of the DPRK Yang Hyong
Sop paid an official visit to South Africa in March 2005 and Deputy Minister Aziz
Pahad was hosted by his counterpart Vice Minister Hyong Jun in the DPRK on an
official visit in September 2005. Issues on the agenda of discussions between
Deputy Minister Pahad and Vice Minister Hyong Jun on Tuesday 11 July 2006 are
expected to include, among others: - Bilateral political and economic
relations between both countries;
- A briefing on the situation in the
Korean peninsula with regard to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
and nuclear disarmament within the context of the Six-Party Talks;
- Possible
co-operation projects between South Africa and the DPRK in the sectors of arts
and culture, trade and mining; and
- Other issues of mutual interest.
Bilateral
Political and Economic Relations Subsequent to the hosting of the Non-Aligned
Movement Summit in Durban in August 1998, South Africa entered into diplomatic
relations with all members of the NAM with which it had not yet established diplomatic
relations. As a result, South Africa and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(North Korea) concluded diplomatic relations on 10 August 1998. North Korea
decided on non-residential representation from Dar-Es-Salaam, while South Africa
decided on non-residential representation from Beijing. On 5 March 2002, North
Korea initiated the process of opening a residential Embassy in Pretoria, and
Ambassador Kun Gwang Pak presented his credentials to President Thabo Mbeki on
19 November 2002. The bilateral trade between South Africa and North Korea
is as follows: | Year | Imports
from N Korea | Exports to N Korea | Total
| | 2002 | R13,271,000
| R72,748,000 | R86,019,000 | | 2003 | R
455,000 | R39,489,000 | R39,944,000 | | 2004 | R
4,941,000 | R 7,541,000 | R
2,600,000 | | 2005 | R
9,732,000 | R46,438,000 | R36,706,000 |
Exports
to North Korea consists mainly of mineral and chemical products as well as prepared
foodstuffs, whilst imports consisted mainly of textiles and base metals. During
September 2004 a South African delegation visited the DPRK to honour a long-standing
invitation by North Korea for a South African delegation to visit that country.
The visit laid the foundation to strengthen and further develop mutually beneficial
relations between South Africa and North Korea. During the visit a Letter
of Intent on co-operation was signed between the Department of Foreign Affairs
of South Africa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK. This document
should lay the foundation for the further development of relations between the
two countries. In March 2005, the Deputy President of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea Mr. YANG Hyong Sop, accompanied by the Vice Minister of Foreign
Affairs and a delegation of senior officials from the ministries of Trade and
Foreign Affairs of North Korea visited South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The Deputy President Mr. Yang Hyong Sop and his delegation were in South
Africa from 16 to 20 March 2005. They were hosted by the then Deputy President
Jacob Zuma and also paid a courtesy call on the President Thabo Mbeki. In addition
the delegation visited other places of interest such as the Cullinan Diamond mine
and MINTEK. Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 10 July 2006 | 
