Dutch biz mission to visit North Saturday

Dutch economic mission, headed by Dominique Bauduin, director of the Netherlands` trade promotion office, is scheduled to visit North Korea for three days starting Mar. 31 to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, it was revealed Thursday.

A diplomatic source in Seoul said that the dispatch of the Dutch delegation is the first follow-up step after the establishment of their bilateral diplomatic relations on Jan. 15. Therefore, the mission is expected to explore ways of economic cooperation in the future, rather than discussing any pending issues between the two nations.

The Netherlands allowed a banking business in Pyongyang in the early 1990s, but it withdrew the business, unable to adapt itself to the socialist economic system of the communist state. Accordingly, the European nation is expected to take a prudent step in its investments in the North.

Boo Hyung-Kwon bookum90@donga.com