EU Relations and North Korea: the Case of the Netherlands
For some time, discussions on nuclear proliferation and human rights in North Korea have been somewhat hamstrung by foul (or lack of) international diplomatic relations with North Korea. North Korea's interactions with countries that have tried to push them on human rights have always been fraught with complexities. European countries, while sometimes receiving the same kind of abuse dished out by the KNCA to the U.S., Japan and South Korea, have largely had a much more neutral relationship with North Korea. It is time for European countries to use this to their advantage and take on a much more important role in presenting a firm voice of condemnation of human rights abuses in North Korea. Before this can happen, the relations between the member states of the European Union and North Korea must be understood.
The EU established diplomatic relations with North Korea in May 2001. Each member state of the EU that has an embassy in Pyongyang takes turns every six months in representing the diplomatic interests of the EU. At present, there are 7 European countries with an embassy in Pyongyang (UK, Germany, Sweden, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania). There are a further 16 European non-resident embassies in Beijing and Seoul which cover North Korea.
Introducing Dutch-North Korean Relations
Since waves delivered the first westerners in 1627 to the shores of the Korean Peninsula in the form of three shipwrecked Dutch sailors, the international stage has changed quite dramatically. The Hermit Kingdom that captured these unlucky souls and set them to work building guns is long past. Only North Korea seems to have returned to that state of reclusion in which too much outside influence is considered harmful to the national well-being.
For a country such as the Netherlands, North Korea is a peculiar case. As a small trading nation, the Netherlands has always emphasised the need for respecting international agreements and rules. In fact, it has been one of the major goals of Dutch foreign policy since the foundation of the country. This strong preference for a rule-based international order has led to a commitment to promoting the development of an international legal order in Article 90 of the Dutch Constitution, with a foreign policy with a significant human rights component built into relations.
Much to the dismay of the Netherlands, Pyongyang has continued to behave irresponsibly. The Dutch aversion to Pyongyang's malevolent attitude extends back decades. The Dutch Army took part in the Korean War on the side of the South. During the Cold War, the Netherlands was firmly in the American camp. This American presence is still visible in Dutch foreign policy, which is often described as an “Atlantic reflex”.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands and North Korea have had diplomatic relations since 2001, although the Dutch ambassador is resident in Seoul and the Netherlands is served by the North Korean embassy in Switzerland. Trade appears to be limited; in a letter to Parliament on 14th of February this year, the Foreign Minister cited figures from the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) for 2011, which listed exports at just €1.4 million and imports at €70 million. The letter also mentioned that trade is in decline and that while trade is not illegal, the government does not encourage doing business with North Korea.
However, in the last full month of the previous cabinet in October 2012, the first official trade mission from the Netherlands to the North took place. Led by officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, several representatives of agricultural businesses went to North Korea. The trip was officially a fact-finding mission and it included meetings with the WFP in Pyongyang, but trade was an integral part of the meetings. North Korea needs food and the Netherlands is aware that it could be of great help in that regard. Besides this particular mission, the renowned agricultural university at Wageningen has housed a few North Korean scientists doing research since 2004.
The fact-finding mission was a hopeful signal. The Netherlands seemed to be leaving the American path of halting all engagement until a complete solution was found for the nuclear issue. People involved in the mission expressed their hope that the Netherlands could contribute to the reforms that the newly installed Kim Jong-un seemed to be promulgating. Some mentioned the possibility of a developmental scenario similar to that of China, which gradually opened up to the outside world. But since the increased tension on the peninsula began, there has been no more publicly known attempts to reach out by the Dutch government.
Furthermore, it is not yet fully clear if the new coalition in the Netherlands will continue a more active policy to Korea. Several unofficial trade missions to North Korea took place in 2001, 2008 and 2009, and one more is planned for later this year. These are organised by GPI Consultancy, the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, and Netherlands Trade Promotion. When he was alderman of Amsterdam, current Deputy PM Asscher expressed opposition to the involvement of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce. However, it is a fact that Dutch companies engage with North Korea to at least a limited extent. Products made by Heineken, Philips and Boon Edam have been spotted in numerous places.
The Dutch attitude to the increasing tension on the peninsula was clearly demonstrated by recent statements made by the Dutch Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister. The government expressed concern about the nuclear programme and says it will undertake action in the relevant international fora. In almost all cases, statements from the Netherlands refer to breaches of international rules when condemning North Korea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that when it does talk to North Korea, it mentions its concerns for the human right problems and has also raised the issue in talks with Beijing. Furthermore, the Ministry has supported the efforts of the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights via the embassy in Seoul, which organised a drawing competition for children. Although the Human Rights Report of 2012 made little mention of North Korea, the country is one of ten subjects of the ongoing freedom of religion pilot scheme.
But above all, the Dutch prefer to act in cooperation. EU or UN sanctions are followed, but the Dutch government have not imposed separate sanctions. In a letter to Parliament, the Minister of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the government would support the call of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, for an international investigation into human right abuses by North Korea. The Netherlands supports several human rights motions concerning North Korea, but it never seems to stray too far from the American line.
The trade mission of October 2012 seemed to break the spell of non-engagement and sanctions. However, the reaction to the the increase in tension on the peninsula showed more of the same old problems with international relations with North Korea. Furthermore, it is, as yet, unclear what the new Dutch cabinet will do once tension has sufficiently subsided. We can only hope that the new cabinet will be more proactive on human rights.
This is the first in a series of articles examining the relations between the member states of the EU and North Korea. This article was written for EAHRNK. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of our organisation.
Sources:
Michael J. Seth - 'A History of Korea' (2011) p. 227
http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/betrekkingen-met-nederland/noord-korea
http://www.denederlandsegrondwet.nl/9353000/1/j9vvihlf299q0sr/vgrnd7f9fty4
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2012/10/a_first_as_official_dutch_trad.php
http://nos.nl/audio/429417-overheidsstandpunt-over-noordkorea-lijkt-te-veranderen.html