Finland–North Korea relations
Finland |
North Korea |
---|---|
Diplomatic mission | |
Non-resident ambassador Kang Yong-dok |
Finland–North Korea relations are
In the 1970s, Finland made a decision to have diplomatic relations with both North and
North Korea had an
Various diplomatic incidents have taken place over the years. In the 1970s, North Korean diplomats were found to run a smuggling ring in Finland and the other Nordic countries as part of
In the 1970s, North Korea purchased two paper machines from Finland for 30 million euros. The debt has never been paid back. Trade between the two countries has been "virtually non-existent" since the 2000s.[1]
There is a
History
Question: With how many countries does the Democratic People's Republic of Korea maintain diplomatic relations? If the Republic of Finland wants to establish diplomatic relations with your country, what would be your attitude on this matter?
Answer: The DPRK has established diplomatic relations with eleven socialist countries including the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China and is promoting friendly cooperative relations with them. In addition, the DPRK has economic and cultural relations with a number of Asian and African nations. The DPRK, which since its very inception has consistently pursued a peace-loving foreign policy, endeavours to promote friendly relations with all countries, irrespective of their social systems, in accordance with the principles of peaceful coexistence. We are ready to establish good relations with all countries which want to form friendly relations with our country.
Kim Il Sung, 1958[4]
North Korea pursued relations with Finland already in the late-1950s. Finland, however, could not agree to the establishment of formal relations with a divided state of the Cold War.
Establishment of trade relations, recognition, and diplomatic relations
I wish to express to you and the government of Finland my deep thanks for the support your government has given to the policy of independent and peaceful reunification of the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the struggle of the Korean people to implement it.
Kim Il Sung in a letter to Urho Kekkonen, 1973[12]
A bilateral trade agreement was signed on 9 October 1969,[13] and a North Korean trade office was established in Helsinki in January 1971.[5] In the 1970s, Finland maintained a prudent foreign policy toward any divided states.[14] Like East and West Germany, North and South Korea fell under this policy. Consequentially, Finland had to let South Korea establish a trade office in the capital as well.[5] It also entailed that Finland would have to establish formal diplomatic relations with both states.[15] The impetus came in November 1972, when Finland recognized both German states. The following month, North Korean diplomats petitioned the Finnish government to pursue recognition of North Korea as well. Finland simultaneously recognized the two Korean states on 13 April 1973.[5] Diplomatic relations with North Korea were established two months later, on 1 June and with South Korea slightly later on 24 August.[16] Finland became the second Western European country, after Sweden, to establish relations with the North.[12] Because of the policy, however, Finland recognized South Korea later than the other Nordic countries.[14] The Korean question continued to be addressed at the United Nations in the 1970s. Kim Il Sung apparently considered Finland to have a role to play and petitioned him twice by personal letters in 1973.[12] In the 1970s, Finland maintained closer ties with North than South Korea. The tide began to turn in the late 1970s because of unpaid debts and diplomatic incidents.[17] By the mid-1980s, Finland was favoring South Korea over the North,[18] although Kim still described the ties as "cordial" in 1985.[19] Finland was establishing an embassy in Seoul, and let North Korea know that there would be no Finnish embassy in Pyongyang until the country cleaned up its diplomatic act and paid its debts.[18]
Illicit activities
In 1976, North Korean diplomats were discovered to run extensive smuggling of cigarettes, liquor, and illegal drugs in Finland,
The biggest blow to diplomatic relations took place in 1983, when the North Korean ambassador, Yu Jae-han tried to bribe the Finnish prime minister Johannes Virolainen with $5,000.[8][21] The incident resulted in the diplomat being announced persona non grata.[8][22] North Korean diplomats have also reportedly tried to sell pornography in Finland.[23]
In 2007, North Korea issued a
North Korea has attempted to import
Diplomatic representation
North Korea maintained an
The last ambassador before a temporary diplomat was
In the 1990s, Finland was a strategic partner due to its traditional role in-between Western and Eastern countries following North Korea's soured relations with major powers due to its nuclear weapons program.
Eero Suominen was appointed the ambassador to both Koreas in September 2016,[2] but As of September 2017[update], he is yet to leave his letter of accreditation to the North Korean government.[9] The ambassador is a non-resident one in the Embassy of Finland in Seoul, South Korea. Finnish nationals in North Korea may seek urgent assistance from the Embassy of North Korea, Stockholm .[39] In the Finnish Foreign Ministry, relations with North Korea are handled by the Unit for Eastern Asia and Oceania, which is under the Department for the Americas and Asia.[40]
Former representatives
Finnish
- Ambassador Veli Helenius 1973–1974
- Ambassador Martti Salomies 1974–1976
- Ambassador Pentti Suomela 1976–1984
- Ambassador Risto Hyvärinen 1984–1999
- Ambassador Arto Mansala 1989–1992
- Ambassador Ilkka Ristimäki 1992–
- Source:[16]
North Korean
- Chargé d'affaires by announcement Chog Sung-kyn 1973
- Chargé d'affaires by announcement Chang Dae-hi 1973
- Ambassador Han Jong-cho 1978–1979
- Ambassador Yu Jae-han 1979–1983
- Ambassador Li Nam-kyu 1984–1989
- Ambassador Ryo Sung-chol 1990–1993
- Ambassador Choe Sang-bom 1993–1994
- Ambassador Kim Pyong-il1994–1997
Inter-parliamentary relations
My understanding is that all, not just socialist countries, want to live as independent... Finland, too, wants to live as independent and that is why we are in the same position.
Kim Il Sung, to a delegation of Finnish MPs, 1972[42]
The first parliamentary visit to North Korea took place in 1972.
In 1982 MP
In the past, a Finnish parliamentary committee,[8] the Finnish-Korea friendship group (Suomi-Korea-ystävyysryhmä) was tasked with relations. The committee visited the country in 1997 to attend Day of the Sun celebrations and was heavily criticized for supporting the regime. The vice president of the committee, Matti Vähänäkki (SDP), alluded that reports of the North Korean famine were exaggerated.[45] The trip also exceeded its budget.[46]
Kim Il Sung was awarded the 75-year Anniversary Parliamentary Medal of Finland in 1981.[12] In 1982, Kim's 70th birthday was attended by MP Veikko Saarto and Minister of Education Kalevi Kivistö (both SKDL) despite the government's intention to mark the occasion in a low-key fashion.[47] Finns have gifted Kim Il Sung a reindeer pelt and a ryijy. A double cloth was gifted for Kim's 80th birthday in 1992.[8] Kim's 80th birthday was attended by chairman of the Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism Timo Lahdenmäki and member of parliament Pekka Leppänen of the Left Alliance party.[48] Gifts from Finland amount to more than the combined total of all other Northern European countries.[49]
After the
Trade relations
Bilateral trade between the countries is "virtually non-existent", especially since the 2000s, with occasional spikes.[1] For instance, Finnish imports from North Korea increased 14,000 percent from 2010 to 2011 when trade included some 3,000 North Korean television sets assembled in the Kaesong Industrial Region along with other artifacts.[52] In 2016 products worth of just 1,500 euros were exported from Finland to North Korea, while North Korean exports to Finland were valued at a little over 6,000 euros. Finland's main exports to North Korea have been cranes and dentistry equipment. A relatively high-value trade of 8,5 million euros worth of cranes to North Korea took place in 2013.[1] In the 1970s, Finland imported mostly rice from North Korea.[17]
Finland established a trade office in Pyongyang on 1 April 1974. At that time, relations were lobbied by
In the 1970s, Finland sought actively for the debt to be paid and a court of arbitration in Moscow ruled in favor of the Finnish claims.[55] North Korea still has a debt of more than 26 million dollars to the Finnish state and 6 million to Finnish enterprises.[1] The Finnish state has for a long time expected no repayment, but in 2017 North Korea hinted that it was willing to fulfill its obligations.[1] The trade office remains closed.[17]
Finland enacts
Non-governmental relations
I should like to take this opportunity to extend my warm greetings to the Finnish communists and the working class of Finland for their active support of the righteous struggle of the Korean people to drive the US imperialist aggressors out of south Korea and reunify the country independently.
Kim Il Sung, 1969[58]
In the future, the young people of Korea will continue to march forward with great force in the vanguard of the struggle for the building of socialism and communism under the leadership of our Party.
They will further strengthen the ties of friendship and solidarity with the progressive youth of the whole world, including the Finnish youth, and will always fight staunchly together with them, on the same side of the barricade in the struggle against the imperialists headed by US imperialism.
Kim Il Sung, 1969[59]
Kim Il Sung became known in Finland by the end of the Korean War. By 1952 the
The Finnish delegation to the
There is a friendship association to promote Finnish–North Korean relations in Finland called Finland–Korea Association . Likewise, North Korea has its Korea–Finland Association.[61]
Several Finnish organizations have been set up since the 1960s and 1970s to study
The Finnish
A Finnish poll found that North Korea is the second least desirable foreign country that Finns would move to, after Russia.[69]
Three Finnish travel agencies – Olympia, Mandala Travel, and Travel Oy – arrange tourist trips to North Korea,[70] although the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs cautions against unnecessary travel to the country.[71]
North Korean exchange students have sought to study in Finland, but the Finnish Foreign Ministry has refused their entry, [72] although a small group of dentistry students has been on a study trip.[73]
See also
References
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- ^ a b Ykkösaamu 2017, 23:00.
- ^ a b Nieminen, Tommi (25 February 2007). "Pohjois-Korea jätti Suomelle nootin". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ Kim 1983, pp. 536–537
- ^ a b c d e Pekkarinen 2013, p. 50.
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- ^ Wertz, Oh & Kim 2016, p. 8.
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- ^ a b Ykkösaamu 2017, 24:00.
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- ^ "TP-UTVA:ssa esillä Pohjois-Korean tilanne, Yhdysvallat, Suomen ja Ruotsin välinen yhteistyö sekä Puolustusvoimien viestikoekeskusta koskeva tietovuoto" (in Finnish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Presidentti Kim Il Sung ja suomalaiset" (in Finnish). Finland–Korea Association. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
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- ^ Kim 1995, p. 23.
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- ^ Mölsä, Jouni (11 April 1991). "Irakilainen diplomaatti karkotettiin ei-toivottuna henkilönä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
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- ^ Granström, Teemu (12 October 2016). "Aiempi omistaja Pohjois-Korean valtio – erikoinen myynti-ilmoitus herättää kysymyksiä". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ Wertz, Oh & Kim 2016, p. 11.
- ^ a b Karvonen, Pekka (15 July 1994). "Nelisenkymmentä on ottanut osaa Pohjois-Korean suruun Helsingissä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ a b c Hämäläinen, Unto (10 April 1999). "Politiikkaa lyhyesti: Pohjois-Korea lopetti lähetystönsä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ a b Pentikäinen, Mikael (18 June 1994). "Pohjois-Korean Helsingin-lähettiläs on kotimaassaan Presidentin nuorempi poika on "loma- ja kokousmatkalla"". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ a b c Himma, Katri (19 March 1994). "Pohjois-Korean lähettiläs jätti valtuuskirjansa Tutkija epäilee, että Kim on ajettu maanpakoon". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ a b Levi 2010, p. 42.
- ^ Hämäläinen, Unto (17 January 1998). "Pohjois-Korea vaihtoi lähettilästään Suomessa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ Levi 2010, p. 43.
- ^ a b Grisafi, John G. (10 September 2014). "N. Korea appoints new ambassador to Sweden". NK News. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
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- ^ "Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Stockholm" (in Finnish). Ministry for Foreign affairs of Finland. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "Structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK". Ministry of Foreign Affairs DPRK. 2017. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ Töyrylä, Katriina (15 March 2018). "Ruotsilla on jo vuosikymmeniä ollut erityissuhde Pohjois-Koreaan, sanoo tutkija – ja siksi Tukholma on nyt maailmanpolitiikan valokeilassa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- ^ "Unit for Eastern Asia and Oceania". Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
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- ^ Salolainen 1973, p. 12
- ^ Salolainen 1973, p. 10.
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- ^ Tiilikainen, Teppo (21 April 1997). "Pohjois-Koreasta palanneet kansanedustajat: Nälänhätää liioiteltu". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ Hautamäki, Jaakko (8 May 1997). "Eduskunnan retki Pohjois-Koreaan ylitti budjettinsa 32000 markalla". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ISSN 0039-5552.
- ^ Pyykkönen, Anna Leena (28 April 1992). "Politiikkaa lyhyesti: Kim Il Sung sai poppanan". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ Pettersson, Maria (3 July 2009). "Pohjois-Korea: Cityn kesäterveiset kommunismin teemapuistosta". City (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ Rantanen, Miska (21 April 2012). "Eduskunnan perussuomalaisten koottuja ulostuloja". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "Perussuomalaisten ylistyspuheet toivat kutsun Pohjois-Koreaan". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). STT. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
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- ^ a b Pekkarinen 2013, p. 52.
- ^ a b c Virtanen 1977, p. 40.
- ^ Väyrynen 1976, p. 52.
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- ^ Keisalo 1989, pp. 51–52.
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- ^ a b c Jakobson 1994, p. 24.
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- ^ Aikio, Aslak (1999). "Kimin & Kekkosen aika". Kaltio (in Finnish). No. 3. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- ^ Mäkeläinen, Mika (26 April 2017). "Pohjois-Korea on valmis puhumaan 40 vuotta vanhasta velasta Suomelle – Ylen erikoishaastattelu Pjongjangissa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ Pajari, Katariina (8 May 2017). "Pohjois-Korean ainoa suomalaisperhe auttaa paikallisia viljelemään perunaa: Tällaista on joensuulaisten pitkästen elämä suljetussa diktatuurissa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 May 2017.
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Works cited
- Jakobson, Linda (4 November 1994). "Pysähtynyt valtakunta". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). No. 44. pp. 18–25. ISSN 0039-5552.
- Keisalo, Paavo (11 August 1989). "Matkaopas: Ei nyt sentään minne tahansa!". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). No. 32. pp. 50–52. ISSN 0039-5552.
- Kim, Ilpyong J. (2003). "Chronology". Historical Dictionary of North Korea. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. pp. xvii–xliii. ISBN 0-8108-4331-5.
- Kim Il-sung (1983) [1958]. "Answers to Questions Put by the Correspondent of a Finnish Newspaper" (PDF). Kim Il Sung: Works. Vol. 12. Pyongyang: OCLC 827642144.
- Kim Il-sung (1986a) [1969]. "Answers to Questions Raised by the Delegation of the Democratic Youth League of Finland for the Kansan Uutiset, Central Organ of the Communist Party of Finland" (PDF). Kim Il Sung: Works. Vol. 24. Pyongyang: OCLC 827642144.
- Kim Il-sung (1986b) [1973]. "Talk to the Delegation of the Denmark–Korea Cooperative Relations Promotion Committee" (PDF). Kim Il Sung: Works. Vol. 28. Pyongyang: OCLC 827642144.
- Kim Il-sung (1995) [1985]. "Talk to the Delegation of the Communist Party of Portugal" (PDF). Kim Il Sung: Works. Vol. 39. Pyongyang: OCLC 827642144.
- Levi, Nicolas (2010). "A Biography of Kim Pyong Il: The Second Dauphin?". Parallax. VII (1): 33–47. ISSN 1353-4645.
- Pekkarinen, Jussi (13 September 2013). "Lyhyt onni". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). No. 37. pp. 50–53. ISSN 0039-5552.
- Salolainen, Pertti (19 January 1973). "Pohjois-Korea ja hänen suuri ja rakastettu johtajansa Kim Il Sung". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). No. 3. pp. 10–12. ISSN 0039-5552.
- Toimela, Markku; Aalto, Kaj (2017). Salakahvilla Pohjois-Koreassa : Markku Toimelan jännittävä tie Pohjois-Korean luottomieheksi (in Finnish). Jyväskylä: Docendo. ISBN 978-952-291-369-2.
- Virtanen, Rauli (23 December 1977). "Suomi rynnii nyt Etelä-Koreaan". Suomen Kuvalehti (in Finnish). No. 51–52. pp. 40–41. ISSN 0039-5552.
- Väyrynen, Raimo (1976). "Suomen ja kehitysmaiden taloudelliset suhteet". In Tuomi, Helena (ed.). Suomi ja kolmas maailma (in Finnish). Jyväskylä: Gummerus. pp. 49–85. ISBN 951-20-1314-2.
- Wertz, Daniel; Oh, JJ; Kim, Insung (August 2016). Issue Brief: DPRK Diplomatic Relations (PDF). The National Committee on North Korea. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- "Suurlähettiläs kahdessa Koreassa". Ykkösaamu (in Finnish). Yle Radio 1. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
Further reading
- Kim Il-sung (1991) [1982]. "Talk to the Chairman of the Finnish People's Democratic League" (PDF). Kim Il Sung: Works. Vol. 37. Pyongyang: OCLC 827642144.
- Mäkkylä, Laura (2014). Punainen viiva kartalla? Suomen diplomaattisuhteiden synty ja kehitys Etelä-Korean kanssa vuosina 1953-1989 (Master's thesis) (in Finnish). University of Jyväskylä. .
- Hotham, Oliver (30 January 2017). "Sympathy for the devil? Former Pro-North Korean Finn speaks out". NK News.
External links
- North Korean embassy in Stockholm
- Sanctions on North Korea at Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland(in Finnish)
- Travel documents when entering Finland from North Korea Archived 19 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine at Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
- Swedish embassy in Pyongyang
- Finland–Korea Association (in Finnish)
- Finnish Society for the Study of the Juche Idea
- North Korea at Finland Abroad
- Country report at Finnish Customs
- Documents at the Wilson Center Digital Archive