Evolution of Europe-North Korea relations: from active engagement to partial rupture 2/2

While the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile crisis persists in a deadlock, and the reopening of North Korea sparks renewed discussions regarding the potential role of the European Union and its member states on the peninsula, it is imperative to delve into the history of cooperation between Europe and the country since its establishment in 1948.

With this objective in mind, we present two concise briefs. The first predominantly delves into the events of the 1990s and early 2000s, a post-Cold War era characterized by North Korea’s increased international engagement. The second shifts focus to the period from North Korea’s inaugural nuclear test in 2006 through to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

The European approach of active engagement, as outlined in the first note, underwent significant reevaluation following the nuclear crisis of the early 2000s. Engagement became conditional and experienced substantial reduction. This shift had a profound impact on economic relations between Europe and North Korea, a trend that has persisted to this day. In the wake of North Korea’s inaugural nuclear test in 2006, the European Union and its member states adopted a strategy known as critical engagement. This approach combined the application of pressure through sanctions aligned with those imposed by the United Nations, along with additional autonomous restrictive measures from the EU. Importantly, channels of communication were maintained throughout this period. The strategy’s two primary objectives were the achievement of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID), as well as the improvement of human rights conditions in North Korea. Despite the collapse of bilateral trade, it is worth noting that humanitarian aid has continued, with certain states, notably Sweden, playing crucial intermediary roles in international negotiations during the late 2010s.