Cable, Cabinet to the Swedish Embassy, Pyongyang, '112. Your 122. From the Press Office. Re: Press Release by Soeder, Hp. 1'

[…]

Cabinet, Stockholm, 1976-10-27

[To] Swedish [Embassy], Pyongyang

URGENT

112. Your 122. From the Press Office. Re: Press Release by [Karin] Soeder, Hp. 1

Here is the press release in English:

[Remainder of cable originally in English] Statement by Ms. Karin Soeder, Minister for Foreign Affairs, concerning certain activities at the North Korean Embassy in Stockholm.

Ms Karin Soeder, Minister for Foreign Affairs, says in a statement to the Swedish Central News Agency concerning the North Korean affair that it must be considered an outrage that officials of a foreign embassy in Stockholm should so deeply violate their diplomatic immunity. Spirits and tobacco have been brought into the country in great quantities and have been sold illegally on the Swedish market. Shipments of narcotics have been directed via

Swedish market. It is unbelievable that official representatives of a country with which we have normal diplomatic relations could involve themselves in such blatantly criminal activities.

C Rattelse Rad 7 shipments of narcotics have been directed via Swedish territors [sic] territory

[next page]

Illegal Activities at the North Korean Embassy

1. On October 18, the National Police Board submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs concerning the suspected illegal sale of spirits and tobacco as well as handling of narcotics by personnel at the Stockholm Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Corea [sic]. In the days following, additional information was received which confirmed that a number of the staff of the embassy had taken part in these activities. Four Swedish citizens have been arrested and have confessed that they have purchased considerable quantities of spirits and cigarettes from the Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea.

2. On several occasions during the last few days, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has drawn the attention of the North Korean authorities to the strong grounds for suspecting several of the staff of the embassy for illegal operations. The Ministry has also stressed the probably inevitable consequences this would have for the status in Sweden of the embassy officials concerned.

3. Ambassador Kil Jae Gyong [Gil Jae-gyeong] left Sweden on October 21. Two embassy officials have departed today. Some members of embassy staff left Sweden earlier.

4. The Swedish Government takes a serious view of this incident. It is the hope of the Government, however, that the otherwise normal relations existing between Sweden and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea will remain undisturbed.

Cabinet

Cabinet Stockholm KL. 16.00

Press Office, Loennback/HS

HP 1