Germany has yet to decide whether to reopen embassy in Pyongyang: German envoy to Seoul

German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the ambassador's official residence in Seoul on Nov. 21, 2023. Yonhap

German Ambassador to Seoul Georg Schmidt said Friday his country has yet to decide whether to reopen its embassy in North Korea following its withdrawal in early 2020 due to Pyongyang's COVID-19 border shutdown.

In February, a German diplomat in charge of East Asia affairs visited North Korea in the first known case that a Western diplomat has visited Pyongyang since the reclusive nation closed its border due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schmidt said the delegation checked the technical conditions of the Germany embassy building and took a look at diplomats' entry process and living conditions such as medical services to brace for the possible reopening of the diplomatic mission.

"It is up to Berlin's political decision about when to reopen the embassy with what size or whether to reopen it. We've been always trying to communicate with North Korea even at the time of the German embassy closure," he told a group of reporters in Seoul.

Some European countries that established diplomatic relations with North Korea, such as Britain and Sweden, pulled out of Pyongyang in early 2020 due to the North's COVID-19 restrictions.

Since opening the border partially in August last year, North Korea has only permitted a few countries, such as China, Russia and Mongolia, to resume diplomatic activities in Pyongyang. (Yonhap)