탈냉전시기 북한의 대 서유럽접근 : 국내외적 환경 및 의도

Abstract

This article examines North Korea's active engagement towards Western European countries in the post-cold war era in terms of its internal-external environmental changes and policy goals. North Korea's diplomatic approaches towards Western European countries began with humanitarian aid from the Western Europe's NGOs in mid-1990s. After South-North Korean presidential talk in 2000, North Korea has made a momentum to establish diplomatic relations with Western European countries. External sources of the North Korea's engagement policy are deadlock of US and Japan's relationships with North Korea, and thus North Korea's need of other diplomatic partners, and South Korea's active implementation of sunshine policy. Internally, North Korea has been facing tremendous economic difficulties. Thus, North Korea needs economic help from Western European countries. Especially, North Korea who worried about contamination of its people from external wind of Western capitalism, feels more secure when it deals with Western European countries who less interested in inter-Korean affairs. Moreover, North Korea uses this engagement policy as a chance to deepen international support for the legitimacy of Kim jeong-il regime. Of course, North Korea's diplomatic priority in the Post-Cold War era is to make diplomatic tie with the United States. However, North Korea considers Western European countries as important diplomatic partners in the environment of the confrontation between US and North Korea.