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Workshop on Europe’s Potential Engagement with North Korea after the Pandemic
Europe and North Korea after the Pandemic: Exploring Opportunities for Renewed Engagement

Despite the global end of the Covid-19 pandemic, North Korea remains largely isolated. In a closed-door workshop with researchers of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Dr. Bernhard Seliger (Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea) discussed pathways for renewed European engagement, joined by expert commentary from Prof. Lee Moo-Sung and support from EURAXESS.

In 2020 North Korea completely self-isolated due to fear that the Corona virus could enter the country (which it anyway did). Almost all foreigners and international institutions, with a very few exceptions left the country. But even after the end of the global Covid crisis engagement with North Korea remained stymied, with the exception of North Korea´s military alliance with Russia. 

In a small closed workshop with professors and researchers of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, Dr. Bernhard Seliger of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation Korea discussed the possibility of renewed engagement of Europe with North Korea. Prof. Lee Moo-Sung of Myungji University gave comments on the paper. The event was co-organized by Hanns-Seidel-Foundation and sponsored by Euraxess, whose representative in Korea, Prof. Tomasz Wierzbowski, is also a renowned specialist for North Korea and inter-Korean relations.