THE official embassy for North Korea opened at a £1.3 million house in Ealing today despite claims by council chiefs that they had been told nothing about it.

Ealing Council confirmed today that planning officers had not received any prior notice of use for the residential property in Gunnersbury Avenue where The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) has established its UK embassy.

The diplomatic residence was officially opened by North Korea's vice foreign minister Mr Choe Su Hon at 12.30pm today.

But this week Ealing Council again claimed it was not aware the residential address was to be used as anything other than a private home.

A spokesman for Ealing Council said: "Ealing Council has not received a planning application from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to do anything at the property and, as far as we are concerned, it is a private residential address."

The council spokesman told the Times that a meeting will be held with representatives of the DPRK on May 6 when they will be told they need to apply for planning permission if they intend to operate an embassy from the and for any building work such as high walls or a canopy at the entrance.

Ealing Council also confirmed that in a letter received from Mr Thae, the first secretary of the DPRK, the DPRK intend to request planning permission for the Gunnersbury Avenue address.

Today's official opening was attended by the Vice Foreign Minister of the DPRK Mr Choe Su Hon. A spokesman for the DPRK said: "We can confirm that the new UK embassy will be officially opened tomorrow (Wednesday) but for security reasons we are unable to comment on who will be attending."

The seven bedroom residential home, said to be worth £1.3m, has a flagpole in place at the front ready to fly the official flag of North Korea and the entrance to the building now boasts the official crest of the DPRK above a fancy canopy.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "The UK has diplomatic relations with North Korea and following our decision to establish an embassy in their capital Pyongyang in 2001, the North Korean embassy have now also set up an embassy in Ealing, west London.

"They are entitled to have an official opening of their embassy and they are free to invite whoever they wish to. We have not been given any details with regards to the opening other than it is taking place today."

April 30, 2003 17:30