Pyongyang has complained that Ottawa was following Washington and not acting as an independent nation in its relations with their country
North Korean officials complained that Ottawa was following Washington and not acting as an independent nation in its relations with their country during a rare visit to Canada, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Canadian media reported earlier this month that a five-member delegation from North Korea quietly met with Canadian officials in September, but details of the North Korean side’s perception of Ottawa have not been revealed until now.
Civil society representatives who held a round table with North Korean officials after their discussions with Canadian bureaucrats said they expressed frustration over Canada’s support for US efforts to isolate Pyongyang.
As well as upholding UN sanctions against Pyongyang over its illicit nuclear and missile tests, Ottawa maintains its own sanctions and travel restrictions for the country.
“They felt that Canada was not acting as an independent nation, but basically following the US line,” said Erich Weingartner, the founder of CanKor, a website providing analysis on North Korea.
“In fact, they found the Canadian officials not very well aware of the nuclear history of the Korean peninsula.
