France–North Korea relations

France–North Korea relations

France	North Korea

Relations between France and North Korea are very limited. France is one of only two European Union members not to recognise North Korea, the other being Estonia.

According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, only 9% of French people view North Korea's influence positively, with 81% expressing a negative view.

History

Relations between France and North Korea, in the sense of relations between sovereign states, are officially non-existent. France is one of the only two European Union members not to grant diplomatic recognition to North Korea. This means, de jure, that France considers the Republic of Korea to have sole sovereignty over Korea.

France's official position is that it will consider establishing diplomatic relations with the DPRK if and when the latter abandons its nuclear weapons programme and improves its human rights record.

President François Mitterrand who toured North Korea in 1981 promised recognition to North Korea before he was elected.

In late 2009, French president Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Socialist politician Jack Lang his special envoy to North Korea, following a similar assignment earlier in the year to Cuba. Lang traveled to Pyongyang on November 9 for a self-described "listening mission" aimed at exploring bilateral ties and discussing the North Korean nuclear program, among other things. Lang briefed American officials including Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and special envoy Sung Kim, as well as ambassadors of countries involved such as Russia, before the assignment was publicly announced. Some critics questioned Lang's qualifications, but Lang said he would be driven by his "intuition" that change was afoot in North Korea.

On December 18, 2009, North Korea consented to the French government's offer to establish a French Cooperation and Cultural Action Office as a first step for normalizing the relations between the two countries. On October 2011 it was reported by the French foreign ministry that France was on the verge of opening an office in North Korea to develop cultural ties and to represent French aid groups working in North Korea. The office was to be headed by French diplomat Olivier Vaysset, "given the needs that have been identified in the cultural and humanitarian domains," ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said. The office was opened in Pyongyang on 10 October, and focuses on cultural and humanitarian issues. The French government has made clear that the opening of the office does not imply a formal diplomatic recognition of North Korea by France; such recognition remains conditional upon "an improvement on the nuclear issue, inter-Korean relations, and the humanitarian and human rights situation".

Economic relations

Economic relations are also limited. In 2005, French imports from North Korea were worth €24 million, and French exports to North Korea €6 million.

In 2005, there were officially 54 North Koreans living in France. The only French residents in North Korea are humanitarian workers. France provides humanitarian aid to the DPRK, and allows a small number of North Korean students to study in France every year. It primarily provides administrative training, and training in the field of architecture.

The North Korean film The Schoolgirl's Diary was released in France in 2007.

See also

• Foreign relations of France
• Foreign relations of North Korea
• French-South Korean relations