Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee

The Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee is a North Korean agency tasked with external affairs. It is under the leadership of the United Front Department of the Workers' Party of Korea.

History

The KAPPC was established in May 1994 to expand and strengthen civilian-level political, economic, and cultural exchanges between North Korea and countries in the Asia-Pacific that it had not established diplomatic relations with, particularly Japan and the United States. It was revealed to the outside world when North Korean state media reported KAPPC Chair Kim Yong-sun met with Nakamaru Kaoru, Director of the Institute of International Affairs in Japan. In the late 1990s, it also assumed responsibilities over developing economic relations with South Korea, including the Mount Kumgang Tourist Region and the Kaesong Industrial Complex. In 2018, Kim Yong-chol visited the United States as the chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.