[2020 National Audit] Taeyongho: "Overseas Diplomatic Missions' Work Should Include Evaluation of North Korea's 'Leverage Diplomacy'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, raised his voice that the analysis and evaluation of North Korea's 'lever diplomacy policy' should be included in the duties of overseas diplomatic missions.

On the 16th, Rep. Tae said, "There was no evaluation item regarding the relationship between the host country and North Korea in the report on the status of Korean embassies' work."

He explained that North Korea does not have a legislative inspection of state affairs, but instead receives an 'Annual Functional Summary Report' from the party and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through overseas embassies at the end of the year to evaluate work status. Unlike us, about 20% of the content in North Korea's embassies' functional summary reports is devoted to the relationship between the host country and us.

Rep. Tae pointed out, "North Korea (through the functional summary report) reports in detail on the host country's and our North Korea policy, human exchanges, trade volume, and even military cooperation, but it seems that we do not place much importance on the relationship between the host country and North Korea, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters does not have guidelines to manage this."

He analyzed, "The Ministry of Unification also studies North Korea's policy toward the South, but there is no report on what overseas North Korean embassies are doing on the international stage," adding, "Since the government does not pay close attention to this part, North Korea policy inevitably tends to focus on research and analysis of North Korea's official announcement materials."

Rep. Tae cited the United Kingdom as a representative country, saying that by effectively utilizing relations with other countries, one can indirectly and directly understand North Korea's diplomatic strategy to acquire nuclear state status. North Korea considers the UK as a barometer to glimpse the US's North Korea strategy and responds accordingly. He said, "Evaluation work on the relationship between the host country and North Korea should be reflected to some extent in the work areas of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas diplomatic missions."

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