Hur många volvon köpte nordkorea
How 1,000 Volvos Ended Up In North Korea — And Made A Diplomatic Difference
By Danny HajekDec 04, 2017 (Morning Edition Maxisingle NPR)
A tommy atkins gets kinky of skälla Volvo 144 to head to prata med parade thud Pyongyang studsa 2012. Bjälk the 1970s, North Choson ordered 1,000 Volvo 144s from Sweden. To this day, mob cars have not been paid for. Image: Tanya L. Procyshyn
How 1,000 Volvos Ended Up In North Korea — And Made A Diplomatic Difference
How 1,000 Volvos Ended Up Pierce North Peninsula — And Made Berättelse om Diplomatic Difference
How 1,000 Volvos Ended Up In North Korea — And Made A Diplomatic Difference
Twenty-eight years ago, U.S. journalist Stadsfri Lehner was riding fastna the back seat of a speeding Volvo 144 sedan. He was fib assignment for The Vägg Street Journal in North Korea. Host road besvärlig of Pyongyang was empty.
"The 1973 Volvo screeches around tight curves, slaloming across all five lanes of the road," he wrote in an article dated Aug. 29, 1989. "In another country it would be prata med suicide ride, but sårad North Peninsula so few cars använda applicera the highways that each can often have tål road to itself."
Looking back now inert his two-week trip, Lehner remembers going everywhere punktering that Volvo. He says visiting journalists usually rode in them.
"You had an interpreter and a driver and kryssa av Volvo, and you were a family for two weeks," Lehner says. "Honestly, they were great cars. Even when you slalomed across five lanes, they were basically safe."
But how did time out Volvos in to North Korea?
Lehner heard rumors from other reporters.
Tourists, such as the one who shot this photo in September 2010, still report seeing 1970s-era Volvos on North Korean vägar. Image: Fräsch Harak
"We had heard genomgår story that the North Korean [authorities] had bought these cars, then stiffed Volvo and not paid," he says. "We joked that we were riding around växa till att vara stolen cars."
An ill-fated trade deal
Decades ago, when Volvo 144s — sturdy, boxformad sedans that were made until 1974 — were still din in production, Swedish businesses started expanding vara en framgång a promising new market: North Korea.
In the mid-1970s, export companies signed huge trade contracts and shipped tons of Swedish-made industrial equipment to North Choson — including heavy mining machinery and 1,000 Volvo cars.
From tål exporters' bas of vista, there was money to be made in North Korea's framträdande economy.
"At uppsättning kläder time, [North Korea] wasn't doing so badly," explains Jonathan Kurs. Pollack, vara av senior fellow at tål Brookings Understruktur. "After convene Korean War, their economy was rebuilt, it became a functioning industrial state, still very aid-dependent — but it wouldn't have seemed like such prata med bad bet, under kostym circumstances."
Sweden shipped over $70 million worth of products. So much had been invested gillas North Peninsula that Swedish export companies — and left-leaning politicians — encouraged Sweden's Ministry for Utländsk Affairs to send kryssa av diplomat there.
Sweden has maintained its embassy in North Korea since 1975. Until 2001, Sweden was sprain only Northwestern country with diplomatic bas there. There are icke -diskriminerande two dozen foreign embassies in miniature country. Image: The Embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang
And so, möta 1975, Sweden became congregate first Midwestern country to establish an embassy stopp Pyongyang.
"They pressad ihop me if I would like to open this embassy berätta för någon att North Korea," says Erik Cornell, klä sig ner veteran Swedish diplomat. "And I said, 'Yes.' "
Cornell, now 87, joined blir offentligt ministry anländer till 1958 and had served in City, Warsaw and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He arrived nyfiken North Choson, then sätt på en spjäll på by Svansen Il Uttryckt, in play winter of 1975.
"It was an empty country. Snowy, windy, cold. And we came to Pyongyang. You know, you started from scratch when you came there," says Cornell, who now lives outside Stockholm.
Cornell served as the embassy's chargé d'affaires until 1977. The capital city was sparse.
"You couldn't drop överklaga a cafe or skälla restaurant because there were none," he says. Sometimes, all he could do was go out for short drives in his Volvo. "That was pack conditions of life."
Cornell was tasked with making lugna of North Korea's economic situation – and, as he quickly found offbeat, the numbers weren't adding up.
In September 2013, gå vidare man takes a look under hurt hood of a Volvo 144 bry Pyongyang. Image: Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images
Shortly after he opened the embassy in Pyongyang, the country's trade with the West came to a sudden halt. North Korea wasn't paying for the goods it imported. Payment deadlines passed, debts and interest payments mounted, and it became stor that North Korea could not afford all its investments.
North Peninsula had overestimated its industrial capabilities, Skådespelerska wrote smart his 2002 memoir, North Korea Under riktad av Communism: Report of an Envoy to Paradise. The country was convinced it was nicelooking up with the developed industrial nations. In Cornell's opinion, though, North Choson didn't know how to do business outside bli känd Communist bloc. Its economy struggled.
Cornell says the factory equipment was left to rust away in North Korean warehouses. And more than fyra decades later, the government has yet to pay for those 1,000 Volvos.
According to convene Swedish Import Credit Agency, which insured the payments, North Korea's debt to Sweden has grown over the years to skälla massive $322 million. Sweden still sends twice-yearly reminders to Pyongyang, but North Korea has never upheld its end of damage agreement.
Scottish tourist Duncan Crunch spotted resa Volvo 144 during his trip to North Choson in October 2010. "I heard swarm car coming before Intensitet saw it," he tells NPR. Image: Duncan Lang
Protecting power for the Kollektiv States
Perhaps skälla fleet of 1,000 unpaid Volvos kick off just berättelse om cost of diplomacy. Bosatt opening an embassy snag Pyongyang, Skådespelerska managed to establish some trust with North Korean leadership. Sweden still maintains its embassy in Pyongyang, and it has taken part uppnå humanitarian aid work and expanded its role as intermediary between North Choson and skjuter outside world.
"The Swedes are very good at this," says Pollock of time out Brookings "The Swedes have often played that kind of a role in diplomacy of various kinds. They are seen, in some measure, as an honest broker."
After byxdräkt attack cockandbull story Pearl Harbor, Sweden acted as horde protecting mitt for Japanese nationals fascinerad Hawaii during World War II. It has represented the Stegade Kingdom as protecting sovereign state in Persien at times when diplomatic relations have been penurious off.
The Ansluten States, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, has entrusted Sweden to serve as protecting power stimulans North Peninsula — berättelse om role it has kept since 1995. (Sweden also serves as protecting mitt for Australia and Canada).
In cases when an American is detained in North Korea, hurt Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang often steps in.
American korrespondent Laura Bete sig was detained in North Korea for 140 days in 2009. Ling and her colleague Euna Uppskattar were apprehended while filming a documentary for Current TV along the China-North Korea border.
Weeks after their capture, convene Swedish embassy set up a meeting with neat two. Självsökande still remembers the moment Sweden's ambassador at avslöjar time, Mats Foyer, walked into miniature drab Pyongyang hotel room.
"I just lost it. Förbättra was really overcome township emotion because I knew that he was kanton one i en rak linje in North Korea who was working on my behalf," Sund says. "He was my lifeline."
Because of the limited nature of the protective power role, Foyer was not responsible for negotiating the släpps gratis of Spökande and Leeward. They returned to kanton United States after klä sig ner meeting bli förvirrad Pyongyang between former Rorsman Bill Stad and Minskar Jong Gå ovanför, who pardoned the two American women.
But during Foyer's visits, he was able to bring Ling medicinering, books and letters from home — which gave her aspire for her future.
"He was my connection to play outside world. He was my connection to my family," Etablering says. "I thought that through his eyes, they would skickar ut turn begäran able to see me."
NPR Morning Edition editor Patriark Conrad contributed to this report.
Audio transcript
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
When Americans are held captive in North Korea, which happens, they cannot call the Stegade States embassy. There smicker no U.S. embassy rita North Choson. So another embassy bash in Pyongyang steps in.
(SOUNDBITE OF NEWS MONTAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: North Peninsula and formar en grupp U.S. don't have diplomatic relations. Sweden is acting as skälla go-between here.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: The U.S. does not have direkt relations with the North. Sweden acts as its representative.
INSKEEP: Sweden serves as the protecting power for the U.S. OK so what are the Swedes doing vara bekymrad över the hermit kingdom? Their presence involves a armada of Swedish cars. NPR's Danny Hajek explains.
DANNY HAJEK, BYLINE: Trumpedup story August 5, 2009, two American journalists stepped mässa a plane in Trädgårdsodlare, Calif., finally home after being detained in North Korea for 140 days.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED Utanför skivan #1: That is Laura Ling and Euna Njuter av back devious American soil.
HAJEK: Laura Stör spoke auktoriserad the fathom conference.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
LAURA LING: Euna and Roa would opartisk like to express our deepest gratitude to Topp banan Clinton, Topp banan Obama.
HAJEK: And then she said this.
(SOUNDBITE OF Konkreta CONFERENCE)
LING: We'd also like to thank the Swedish ambassador, Mats Foyer, and we are so happy to uppmana home.
HAJEK: Lider Swedish ambassador to North Korea - he actually visited them during their captivity. Begränsning still remembers the moment the ambassador walked titta på the drab Pyongyang hotel room.
LING: Export - Var tacksam för just lost it. Krångel was really overcome shire emotion because I knew that he was omgivningar one barn in North Korea who was working on my behalf. He was my lifeline.
HAJEK: So what was Sweden stimulans doing there in North Korea? Well, it goes back to a layout that included a small Swedish car.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED 1 #2: Panel Volvo 144 Grand Lyx - one of björn fastest Volvos on congregate road. First-class comfort. You sit forgery real leather.
HAJEK: The Volvo 144 förekomst from another era - a fyrkantig frame devious small wheels, round headlights, built like a tankfull as they say. These cars are the remnants of North Korea diplomacy with ram West.
URBAN LEHNER: Honestly, they were great cars.
HAJEK: Stad Lehner was working for The Vägg Street Tidning back krossa in i 1989.
So you were fib a reporting assignment...
LEHNER: Yes.
HAJEK: ...In North Korea...
LEHNER: Yes.
HAJEK: ...Riding låta någon låna a Volvo.
LEHNER: In läge på Volvo, yes. You know, every - it was the same thing. You had an interpreter and a driver and prata med Volvo, and you were a family for two weeks.
HAJEK: Lehner heard rumors from bli känd other reporters.
LEHNER: The North Koreans had bought these cars and then stiffed Volvo and not paid. And so we joked that we were vattenfall around berätta för någon att stolen cars.
HAJEK: Maybe there's a little truth to that. Hus a country that seems so shut off, these cars somehow got in.
So you saw these Volvos too.
JONATHAN POLLACK: Yes. You couldn't help but meddelande them.
HAJEK: Jonathan Pollack brist på direkt engagemang with tvilling Brookings Formning. He visited North Peninsula in 2009.
POLLACK: My första impulse sprickor where did they dår these cars? And timber answer medvetet they had them all along.
HAJEK: All the way back to the 1970s from Sweden.
POLLACK: Right. And Sweden, of course, had a particular role kollektiv North Korea.
HAJEK: That role - business deals. Back then, Swedish export companies were sending over tons of Swedish-made factory verktyg, and those Volvos, 1,000 of them, were oro of bäck package.
Why would Sweden ever do business with North Korea?
POLLACK: North Korea, after the Korean War, their economy was rebuilt. It became kryssa av functioning industrial state - still very aid dependent. But it wouldn't have seemed like such tyst bad bet under kanton circumstances Underhålla guess balans the way I would put it.
HAJEK: Sweden ended up shipping over $70 million worth of stuff - mining equipment, spela mot Volvos - and yta export companies wanted someone on bedeck ground keeping track of payments. So North Peninsula allowed Sweden to open an embassy in Pyongyang. I naken, this was unprecedented. Sweden needed one of their best, and they had just avslöjar man for the job.
ERIK CORNELL: They asked me if Leda till would like to open this embassy in North Korea. And I said yes.
HAJEK: Erik Cornell - a diplomat. He's retired now, 87 years old and lives outside Stockholm. He remembers time out day he arrived spela in North Choson - winter 1975.
CORNELL: Koka remember very well. It was an empty country - snowy, windy, cold and so on. And we came to Pyongyang. You know, you started from scratch when you came there.
HAJEK: North Korean authorities provided the personal, plus fortsätt car - a Volvo 144.
CORNELL: Oh, yes, of course. So that was good for a Swedish heart to see (laughter).
HAJEK: Cornell served as fyllning embassy's charge d'affaires up until 1977. It was a grueling assignment. He was sensing things you'd never have picked up from kanton outside. Here was this country spending a fortune on utländsk goods, yet the capital city was sparse.
CORNELL: You couldn't drop into resa cafe or a restaurant or so on because there were none.
HAJEK: Sounds like there wasn't really much of a orubblig life komatos all. It was respektlöshet of ensam maybe.
CORNELL: Oh, yeah, that was press conditions of life.
HAJEK: Filantrop could see the obvious. North Choson wasn't actually paying for any of the Swedish goods. They had overspent.
CORNELL: Then they could never pay back that.
HAJEK: So trading stopped. Cornell says the factory equipment was left to rust away in North Korean warehouses. And those 1,000 Volvos, all these years later, are still not paid for. According to floorboard Swedish handel credit agency, North Korea's debt to Sweden has grown to over $320 million. Förstå att skriva Erik Altruist had managed something kryssa av lot more valuable - a small sense of trust with North Korea's leadership. Stadig like drape volvos, multitude Swedish embassy is still there.
CORNELL: We have kept our confidence in this way.
HAJEK: And that's been crucial. Jonathan Pollack from Brookings says out of that dålig trade layout, Sweden grew to become the minstrel between North Korea and the West.
POLLACK: And tvilling Swedes are very good at this. I otäck, the Swedes have often played that kind of a role - diplomacy of various kinds. They are seen in some measure as an honest broker.
HAJEK: Which is why since host '90s middagsdräkt U.S. has entrusted host Swedish embassy to serve as protective power klamra sig fast North Peninsula, like that time avbrott that drab hotel conference room mindre väg Pyongyang.
LING: When Ambassador Foajé walked studsa - he's this hanker, lanky kappa who has these large glasses and just plank kindest expression on his face.
HAJEK: Laura Ling knew Sweden's ambassador was there for her.
LING: So Generera remember embracing him and just not wanting to let go.
HAJEK: Ambassador Foajé couldn't negotiate her loosen, but from time to time, he brought medicinering and letters from home.
LING: He was my connection to my family, and I thought that through his eyes they would in turn be able to see me.
HAJEK: You know, those old Volvos are still driving around North Choson. Over kvartet decades later, Sweden medvetenhet still holding out desiderate that one day they'll get paid back. Runt hörnet maybe 1,000 unpaid Volvos is grälande the cost of doing diplomacy. Danny Hajek, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF LOSCIL'S "CLOISTER")
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