“What is there to lose by attempting to talk peace with North Korea?”
Waterford TD John Halligan has spoken of his desire to visit North Korea on a peace mission with Independent Alliance colleagues Shane Ross and Finian McGrath.
Speaking on Today with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio 1 on Friday morning, Halligan spoke of his desire to visit a nation where tensions have escalated with the United States and other countries over its increased nuclear activity in recent months.
Halligan said that he, Ross and McGrath are waiting on a response from the North Korean embassy in London, having got in contact about the possibility of making a visit.
The Waterford native said that a trip, if it was to go ahead, would be paid for out of their own pockets at no cost to the state, although he thinks the government should get behind it.
“This isn’t new, we’ve had relations with North Korea in the past through Ceoltas… the greatest threat to peace at present in the world is on the Korean peninsula,” the Junior Minister said.
“Both (Shane Ross and Finian McGrath) have agreed to go if we can arrange it. We’ve already contacted the North Korean embassy in London through friends of mine and we’re waiting for a reply.
“What is there to lose by attempting to talk peace with North Korea?”
You can listen to Halligan’s interview with Sean O’Rourke in full here.
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