Embassy of the United Kingdom, Pyongyang

British Embassy, Pyongyang

British Embassy Pyongyang, emblems of the German Embassy and Swedish Embassy can be seen alongside the British one.
Location North Korea Pyongyang, North Korea
Address Munsu-Dong Compound
Ambassador Michael Gifford

The British Embassy in Pyongyang is the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.[1] It is located in the Munsu-Dong compound, a compound housing most of the diplomatic missions to North Korea, with the exception of the Russian and Chinese missions.[2]

The British Embassy shares a small compound within the larger Munsu-Dong compound with the German and Swedish missions to North Korea, in what was originally the East Germany mission, established at a time when socialist states relied heavily on each other for trade.[2]

European Union citizens not represented by an embassy of their home state may also seek assistance from the British Embassy, or any other embassy of an EU member state in Pyongyang.[3]

History

Britain and North Korea had no formal diplomatic relations until 12 December 2000, when diplomatic missions in London and Pyongyang were established. James Hoare was chargé d'affaires from 2001-2002 until a permanent ambassador was appointed by the British government.[2] The embassy itself opened in July 2001 and the first ambassador - David Slinn - arrived in November 2002, there have since been a further four ambassadors, including present ambassador Michael Gifford.[1][2]

Incidents

On the 5 April 2013, the North Korean government advised the British Embassy, and all other missions, that the safety of their missions could not be assured past 10 April 2013. This is part of the North Korean government's response to UN Resolution 2094 and deterioration of relations with South Korea and the United States of America.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office. "British Embassy Pyongyang - Inside Government - GOV.UK". Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hoare, JE (2004). "A Brush with History: Opening the British Embassy Pyongyang, 2001-2002". Papers of the British Association for Korean Studies 9. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  3. ↑ European Union (7 Dec 2000). "Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union". Retrieved 2013-04-06. Article 46 Diplomatic and consular protection Every citizen of the Union shall, in the territory of a third country in which the Member State of which he or she is a national is not represented, be entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State, on the same conditions as the nationals of that Member State.
  4. ↑ Moore, Malcolm (5 Apr 2013). "North Korea: we can't keep you safe, Pyongyang tells foreign embassies". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-04-06.

External links