List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to North Korea

British Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom
Incumbent Alastair Morgan since 2015
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Munsu-Dong Compound, Pyongyang
Inaugural holder	James Hoare Chargé d'affaires
Formation	2001
Deputy	Kim Gould, Deputy Head of Mission
Website	British Embassy Pyonyang

The British Ambassador to North Korea is in charge of the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to North Korea. The official title is "Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (DPRK).^[1]

History

Under the Imperial Chinese tributary system, Korea was a tributary state to China. After the United Kingdom–Korea Treaty of 1883 British Ministers to China were appointed as "Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of China, and also Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of Corea." Britain also appointed consul-generals to be resident in Seoul, but they were not heads of mission, as the head of mission was the minister in Peking (now Beijing). In 1898, following the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), the Korean Empire became independent of China, and Britain appointed a chargé d'affaires who became Minister Resident when the United Kingdom and Korea exchanged envoys in 1901.

Consul-General in Seoul

• 1884–1885: William George Aston^[2]
• 1889–1896: Walter Hillier^[3]
• 1896-1898: John Jordan^[4]

Head of mission to Korea

Minister to China, non-resident Minister to Korea

• 1884–1885: Sir Harry Smith Parkes^[5]
• 1885–1892: Sir John Walsham, 2nd Baronet^[6]
• 1892–1895: Sir Nicholas O'Conor^[7]
• 1896–1898: Sir Claude MacDonald^[8]

Chargé d'affaires

• 1898–1901: John Jordan^[9]

Minister Resident

• 1901–1905: Sir John Jordan^[10]

Under the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 Korea became a protectorate of Japan, and Britain and other countries withdrew diplomatic missions from Seoul. After World War II Japan's rule ended and Korea was occupied by the Soviet Union and United States, resulting in division of Korea between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

Head of mission to North Korea

After Britain and North Korea re-established diplomatic relations in 2000, James Hoare was appointed British Chargé d'affaires in Pyongyang; and his work laid the foundation for the establishment of a full embassy in the North Korean capital.^[11]

The British Embassy in Pyongyang opened in July 2001. David Slinn was the first British Ambassador; he arrived in Pyongyang in November 2002.^[12]

Chargé d'affaires in North Korea

• James Hoare, 2001–2002

Ambassador to North Korea

Name	Tenure begins	Tenure ends	British Monarch	Supreme leader
David Slinn	2002	2006	Elizabeth II	Kim Jong-il
John Everard[13]	2006	2008
Peter Hughes[14]	2008	2011
Karen Wolstenholme[14]	2011	2012		Kim Jong-un
Michael Gifford[15]	2012	2015
Alastair Morgan[16]	2015

See also

• Embassy of the United Kingdom, Pyongyang
• List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom
• List of diplomatic missions in North Korea
• List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to South Korea

Notes

1. Gowman, Philip. "Three ambassadors—or maybe four? Korea Update with the Anglo-Korean Society," London-Korea links. 18 June 2010; Anglo-Korean Society event, 8 July 2010.
2. Kornicki, Peter, Aston, Cambridge and Korea at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 June 2012), Cambridge University, Department of East Asian Studies, 2008.
3. Addison, Henry Robert. (1901). Who's Who Vol. 53, p.568, p. 568, at Google Books; compare Note 12
4. Kit-ching Chan Lau, Anglo-Chinese Diplomacy 1906–1920: In the Careers of Sir John Jordan and Yuan Shih-kai, Hong Kong University Press, 1978
5. The London Gazette: no. 25326. p. 1133. 7 March 1884.
6. The London Gazette: no. 25539. p. 6066. 15 December 1885.
7. The London Gazette: no. 26281. p. 2360. 22 April 1892.
8. The London Gazette: no. 26706. p. 645. 4 February 1896.
9. The London Gazette: no. 26952. p. 2021. 29 March 1898.
10. The London Gazette: no. 27344. p. 5256. 9 August 1901.
11. Kyodo News International, "Britain appoints James Hoare as N. Korea charge," BNET. 5 February 2001.
12. Foreign& Commonwealth Office (FCO); Korea, DPR (North Korea), Diplomatic representation
13. Stanford University, Korean Studies, Everard bio
14. "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" – Foreign & Commonwealth Office press release, 27 September 2010
15. "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" – Foreign & Commonwealth Office press release, 25 June 2012
16. "Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea". GOV.UK. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.

References

• Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 12923609

External links

• UK and North Korea, gov.uk