Korea Update

Held on 26 March 2009, this was a landmark event for the Society and a coup for our Social Events Secretary, Sylvia Park. Taking place in the impressive setting of House of Commons Committee Room 14, the event was hosted by Frank Cook MP who chaired the evening with great diplomacy. Frank is a member of the All-Party Britain-Korea Parliamentary Group.

Ambassador Martin Uden, Ambassador Chun Yung-woo,
Frank Cook, Ambassador Ja Song-nam, Stephen Lillie, and
mementos from the visit by the North Korean footballers

The speakers for the evening were Martin Uden, British Ambassador to the ROK and Stephen Lillie, Head of the FCO Far East Group. Stephen was standing in at short notice for Peter Hughes, British Ambassador to the DPRK, who was unable to attend.

Our special guests were ROK Ambassador Chun Yung-woo, and DPRK Ambassador Ja Song-nam. This unique combination resulted in a capacity turn-out of 120 members and guests, with more turned away.

Frank Cook entertained us with an account of his association with the heroic football team from North Korea who knocked Italy out of the 1966 World Cup, and the return visit to Middlesbrough in 2002 of the seven surviving players.

As we awaited the arrival of our speakers, delayed by their busy schedule, Dr Jim Hoare shared with us his experiences as the first British Representative to Pyongyang. His impromptu talk covered the events surrounding the establishment of diplomatic relations between Britain and the DPRK.

The first of our main speakers, Stephen Lillie, gave us an overview of the status of relations with the DPRK. Describing the Embassy in Pyongyang as a window on North Korea, he stressed that our Ambassador, Peter Hughes, was there to engage with the government and the people. Whilst there were opportunities for frank exchanges of views, these were not always palatable. On the positive side, English was now the most popular language at university. Programs were in place to teach English to teachers, and Government officials were visiting the UK for language training. There were also plans to extend the Chevening scholarships to the DPRK.

However there were still difficulties. Human rights presented a problem, and the nuclear situation with the proposed satellite launch, a breach of UN Security Council resolutions, represented a real challenge.

Martin Uden followed with a summary of the political and economic situation in the ROK and the role of the British Embassy. The ROK was still a powerhouse with an export led economy, and although they were having some problems, the weak currency was providing export opportunities. President Lee's foreign policy had built bridges with other members of the 6-party talks but relations with the DPRK had deteriorated with a more hard line approach replacing the 'sunshine policy' of recent years.

Dealing with the economic crisis was a priority for the Embassy. There was broad agreement on economic issues and the ROK's forthcoming chair of the G20 in 2010 had led to a close relationship with Britain. Ongoing dialogue on climate change reflected another issue taken seriously by President Lee. Trade and investment was suffering, with British exports and Korean investment in the UK both potentially limited.

Martin updated us on his 'digital diplomacy' in particular his online blog in English and Korean, which he perceived as the best way to get his message out in hi-tech Korea.

The Question and Answer session that followed produced interesting interchanges, most notably candid accounts from both Ambassador Chun and Ambassador Ja of their respective positions on the impending missile / satellite launch. This was tempered with humour as Ambassador Ja pointed out that despite representing the 'Axis of Evil' he had no horns.

Adjourning to the Churchill Room, the lively discussion continued over wine and canapés. Many of those attending for the first time as guests agreed that the AKS was well worth joining, a successful event all round thanks to the open contributions of all our speakers.