The process of establishing diplomatic ties between Britain and North Korea will take time, London told Tokyo on Friday, Foreign Ministry officials said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in Seoul that Britain wants to help North Korea become part of the international community.
But Blair added that North Korea must become peaceful and democratic for there to be real progress in the negotiations, expected to start soon.
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told Foreign Minister Yohei Kono in a separate breakfast meeting that Britain's decision to normalize ties with North Korea does not mean it will automatically accept the current situation in the North.