The Asia-Europe summit meeting (ASEM), which begins today in Seoul, brings together leaders from the EU and 10 Asian countries, and is the largest international political gathering to be hosted in South Korea. It takes place at a time of historic possibilities for reconciliation on the Korean peninsula - President Kim Dae-Jung's "Sunshine Policy" having brought his country and North Korea closer than ever to cordial relations. Moves towards reconciliation between the two Koreas have been accompanied by attempts to bring North Korea back into the international fold. The latest of these have been the statements by the British Foreign Secretary and by the German Chancellor that their countries are prepared to consider opening diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. On Sunday the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, will make a ground-breaking visit to the North Korean capital.
For its part, the North Korean administration under President Kim Jong-Il has issued a list of countries with which it wishes to open diplomatic relations. Ireland is on that list and the issue is likely to be raised in the course of the Taoiseach's visit to the ASEM event. Mr Ahern is expected to have a brief meeting there with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, at which the situation in Northern Ireland will be discussed. He will also have talks with President Kim Dae-Jung. Tomorrow he will meet China's Prime Minister, Mr Zhu Rongji, whose country is North Korea's strongest ally, and the issue of diplomatic relations is likely to come up at this meeting. As is usual in Irish foreign policy, any decision will be made in the context of the approach taken by the European Union on the issue.
Mr Zhu has already made his presence felt in Seoul by successfully insisting that references to weapons of mass destruction be removed from the "Seoul Declaration for Peace on the Korean Peninsula", which ASEM is due to adopt over the weekend. The removal of this thinly disguised reference to North Korea's weapons programme is an indication of China's influence not only over other countries in the region but with the European visitors as well. North Korea launched a medium-range missile two years ago and there are fears that it will develop a long-range version capable of reaching the west coast of the United States.
From an Irish viewpoint, the summit takes place against the background of burgeoning trade relations with Korea. Imports in the first six months of this year stood at £527 million - up from £270 million a year ago. Exports grew almost threefold over the same period - from £105 million to £312 million. Major Korean industries such as Saehan Media, Korean Air and LG have set up operations in Ireland and, in the course of his visit, Mr Ahern will announce the establishment of a co-operation agreement between Trinity College and Changwon University. Ireland's trade relations with Korea mirror the impressive increase in trade between the EU and the ten Asian countries attending ASEM. It is to be hoped that the summit will lead eventually to geopolitical achievements of a similar magnitude.