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| Kang Sok-ju |
Kang found it impossible to meet major political figures, something he had hoped to do in an attempt to alleviate the country's international isolation, said VOA, the U.S. state-run official external broadcast institution, Tuesday (Korea Standard Time).
South Korea's foreign ministry said prior to Kang's departure on Sept. 6 that the 75-year-old diplomat was expected to visit Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy.
Given Kang's status in the North's political hierarchy, there was speculation regarding the significance of his tour.
His visit to Europe, however, proved fruitless since Kang failed to meet any government officials except one in Switzerland, according to VOA.
In Germany, his first destination, Kang met members of the Social Democratic Party.
Kang managed to hold a meeting in his second destination, Belgium, with Elmar Brok, the chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Stavros Lambrinidis, EU special representative for human rights, but they only restated their earlier criticism of North Korea's nuclear program and its human rights abuses.
Kang was finally able to meet State Secretary Yves Rossier in his third destination, Switzerland. However, Switzerland's foreign ministry downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying it was an ordinary meeting between nations with diplomatic ties.
Italy's foreign ministry said Monday in an email to VOA that none of its officials had any plans to meet the North Korean diplomat.
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