June 17, 2016
It has now emerged that a major reason for the visit to Iran by the president of South Korea last month was to try to induce Iran to reduce its dealings with North Korea.
After China, Iran is the country with which North Korea has the closest and most active ties. The two countries have long helped each other with missile work and are believed to have quietly exchanged nuclear information as well.
The Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced last week that Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se is in the process of visiting North Korea’s old allies pressing them to isolate the country, citing its recent nuclear tests in violation of a UN resolution.
Foreign Minister Cho has recently visited Iran, Cuba and Uganda and was due to visit Moscow this week.
President Park Geun-hye recently visited Iran and Uganda. Economic ties were cited for the visit to Iran, but it now turns out Tehran’s relations with North Korea were also on the agenda.
South Korea last week said Uganda has pledged to halt its military cooperation with North Korea. But it didn’t report any pledges from Cuba or Iran.
