Pyongyang's flurry of diplomacy to forge ties with the West began at the turn of the millennium as it moved to shatter half a century of total isolation from the outside world.

"North Korea has adopted new tactics for the first time in its history under pressure from the outside world," said Yu Suk-Ryul of Seoul's state-run Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security.

"There seems to be a consensus among Western countries that its time to tap at the door of the world's last (orthodox) communist country," he said, defining Pyongyang's venture as "multi-sided diplomacy for survival."

The shift was sparked in September when North Korea agreed to freeze its long-range ballistic missile tests in return for an easing of decades-old US sanctions and food aid.

Analysts now say North Korea has already crossed the bridge of no return as its economy continues to crumble following the collapse of its former backer, the Soviet Union, and years of natural disasters.

"They have crossed the river. Money is the most crucial factor which brought a remarkable shift to North Korea's diplomacy," said Kim Yong-Ho at the private Korea Institute for National Unification.

"Their diplomatic stride will be accelerated this year, although they will maintain a policy of alienating Seoul from its allies."

North Korea's traditional diplomacy focused on ties with communist and non-aligned countries as it was hit by US sanctions imposed after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War.

It has used the threat of its weapons of mass destruction to win economic concessions from other nations.

The US stranglehold, however, is slowly easing, paving the way for North Korea to open up to the world, a painful step that will ultimately help stabilize its fragile economic system.

South Korea welcomed the overtures which bolster Seoul's "Sunshine Policy" of ending Pyongyang's isolation and making it more responsible, although the North remains reticent to improve ties with the South.

"Once a momentum is found, there will be changes of geometrical progression (in inter-Korean ties)," Foreign Minister Lee Joung-Binn told the Munhwa Daily.

"But for the North, it is like sailing unchartered waters.

"It is a great adventure for them."

Even China, the North's last remaining ally, supports the change.

Beijing joined forces with Tokyo at a weekend security forum in Germany to urge NATO members to improve ties with North Korea.

The first concrete sign of Pyongyang's policy shift came in early January when it forged ties with Italy, a G-7 nation. The Philippines followed this week with an offer to normalize relations.

Other countries, including Australia, Japan and Lesotho also appear to be queuing to help prise open the hermit state's doors.

A high-level Australian team is due to visit Pyongyang late this month for normalization talks. Pyongyang is expected to forge ties with the tiny Southern African state of Lesotho by the end of the year, Yonhap News Agency said Wednesday.

Japan and North Korea met in December to discuss normalization, after Tokyo lifted a food aid ban imposed in August 1998 when Pyongyang test-fired a missile over Japan. A second round of talks is due soon.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov Wednesday began a visit to Pyongyang to renew slumped cooperation between the former allies, becoming the first top Russian to visit in the 10 years since Moscow recognized rival South Korea.

But Pyongyang has yet to clear major hurdles when it resumes tough talks with the United States on plans for high-level talks between the two in March.

And analysts warn the secretive state is well aware that opening up too much to the outside world could cause its autocratic political regime to tumble.

Copyright 1999 AFP. All rights reserved. The material on this page is provided by AFP and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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