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Map of the world indicating decade each country established diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Red: 1948/1950)  Blue: 1960s;  Maroon: 1970s ; Green: 1980s/1990s; and Yellow: 2000s.

This map is made by using World Map Maker program. <http://www.worldmapmaker.com/>

Introduction

North Korea’s philosophy of Juche or self-reliance provides the basis not only for domestic policy but also for its foreign policy.[1] The three key components of Juche ideology are political, economic and military independence. However, Juche doesn’t mean isolation; from the beginning it meant balancing power between the Soviet Union and China.[2] In the 1960s and 1970s, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (or DPRK , the official name for North Korea) sought a further counter-balance by reaching out to Third World countries emerging from colonialism. During this era and beyond, the DPRK competed with the Republic of Korea (or ROK, the official name for South Korea) to be recognized by the greatest number of countries. After the collapse of the USSR and the beginning of China’s economic reforms, the DPRK, seeking foreign investment, tried to improve relations with capitalist countries including the U.S., Japan, and European countries.[3] 

Although North Korea’s foreign policy has changed its characteristics over time, its core value has been to maintain the Juche system; in order to do so it has developed different policies regarding diplomatic outreach in the context of the changing geopolitical environment.

North Korea currently has diplomatic relations with 161 countries.[4]  North Korea has embassies in forty-two of these countries, as indicated in the chart below by an underline.

<Chart 1: Countries that North Korea has Diplomatic Relations, Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (South Korea)>

Foreign Embassies in North Korea

Twenty countries have embassies in Pyongyang; China and Russia also have consulates.  The majority of countries, including those that have diplomatic relations with the DPRK, base diplomatic staff relating to North Korea at their embassy in Beijing; a handful are based at embassies in Seoul.

<Chart 2: Foreign Embassies in Pyongyang, Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (South Korea)>

Changes in North Korea’s Diplomatic Policies[7]

From 1948 to 1950s: Limited Diplomatic Relationships

When South Korea was recognized by the UN in 1948, North Korea turned its eyes to the USSR and East European communist counties, asserting itself as the representative of the Korean Peninsula. After the end of the Korean War in 1953, North Korea focused on reconstruction and strengthening its relationship with China, which had sided with North Korea against capitalist countries.[8] 

Two factors affected North Korea’s new approach to foreign policy in this period: increased distance between the DPRK and its two most important allies, and the emergence of newly independent countries that rejected the influence of the two dominant political blocs.

After Stalin’s death in 1953, and his successor Khrushchev promoted peaceful coexistence with the United States, which weakened North Korean-Soviet ties.[9]

China supported independent movements in the Third World, first at the Bandung conference in 1955, at which 29 countries from Africa and Asia established the foundation for the Non-Aligned Movement.[10] At a party meeting in April 1956 Kim Il Sung announced his intention to develop diplomatic relations with countries of different social systems.[11]   In the 1960s, many of the newly independent Asian and African nations joined the UN. [12] The DPRK, responding to this global trend, established relations with many countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

**South Yemen and North Korea established diplomatic relations in February, 1968.

In 1970s: Expanded Diplomatic Outreach 

As Third World countries increased their influence in the arena of world politics and Soviet–American détente created opportunities for countries in both blocs, North Korea declared 1972 a year of diplomacy.[13]

The DPRK used two strategies:  first, it reached out to African countries where China had already established economic and diplomatic influence.[14]Second, North Korea established diplomatic relations with capitalist countries in an effort to develop its economy. Unlike China, which established new ties across a broad political spectrum, North Korea concentrated its diplomatic efforts in Europe with those countries with a strong communist or socialist party, such as Finland, West Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.[15] As a result, North Korea established its diplomatic relations with 66 countries in a decade. However, in late 1970s, momentum lagged, caused by tense inter-Korean relations, the North’s default on foreign loans, and reports of drug smuggling by its diplomats. [16]

1980s: Terrorist Acts

In the 1980s, ideology gave way to economic interests, as countries of all ideologies began interacting in pursuit of economic benefits. As Third World and non-aligned countries turned toward capitalism, China accelerated its economic reforms. At the end of the decade, the Eastern communist bloc began to disintegrate.

North Korea’s terrorist act in Burma in 1983[17] and North Korea’s attack on Korean Airlines flight 858 in 1987 [18] were both strongly criticized. Burma cut diplomatic ties with North Korea and expelled North Korean officials in response.[19] Illegal trade by North Korean officials at some embassies was also a matter of international concern during this period. Liberia cut diplomatic ties and Lesotho suspended its diplomatic relationship with North Korea during this period, although diplomatic relations were later re-established.[20]

1990s:  Former Soviet Bloc – and attempts with Japan and the U.S.

In the 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet bloc resulted in major cuts in economic aid to the DPRK, causing economic hardship and food shortages. With the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994, the first nuclear crisis and famine in the mid-1990s, North Korea asked for food aid not only from UN agencies and countries around the world, but also from South Korea. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Russian Federation, the DPRK established relations with newly independent nations such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine.

With a severely reduced budget, North Korea closed thirty percent of its embassies between 1998 and 2001: seven in Africa, six in Europe, two in Middle East, two in Latin America and one in Asia.[21]  During this decade, North Korea turned its diplomatic efforts to two major adversaries, seeking security guarantees and economic benefit: the United States., technically still an adversary since the Korean War, and Japan, which had ruled North Korea for 36 years prior to the war. North Korea signed the Agreed Framework in 1994, which outlined steps to "cooperate to replace the DPRK’s graphite-moderated reactors" with light water reactors and to "move toward full normalization of political and economic relations," among other commitments. However, although the U.S. and the DPRK did improve relations during this era, no irreversible progress was made toward either denuclearization or normalization.

North Korea also began talks with Japan to normalize relations. The two countries met eight times between 1991 and 1992 and Japanese representatives of the LDP visited North Korea in March, 1998. However, no concrete actions were taken.

In 2000s: The European Union

In 2001, Kim Jong-il declared that North Korea was ready to talk with any capitalist countries if they respected the North’s sovereignty. Kim Jong Il also said he was ready to improve U.S.-DPRK relations.[22] North Korea successfully concluded diplomatic ties with many European countries and opened embassies in Italy, Germany, South Africa and the United Kingdom in the early 2000s.[23]

The United States and the DPRK had a roller-coaster relationship during this period, which saw the effective end of the Agreed Framework and two DPRK nuclear tests. It also saw the beginning of the Six Party Talks and the September 2005 Joint Statement. The DPRK’s relationship with Japan worsened during this period; Kim Jong-il’s 2002 acknowledgement that the DPRK had abducted Japanese citizens resulted in a backlash and Japanese reluctance to address other issues until this matter is fully resolved. Although the nuclear and missiles tests in 2006 resulted in a slow-down in new diplomatic relationships, in 2007 the DPRK established or re-established ties with six countries. In September 2009, France dispatched Jack Lang to Pyongyang as a “Special Envoy to North Korea.” Following the visit France expressed its interest in forging cultural links with North Korea, but not full diplomatic ties.[24] 

The two incidents in 2010 the Cheonan sinking and the Yeonpyeng Shelling, strained some of North Korean’s diplomatic relations but none were severed.[25]  In July 2011, France announced plans to open up a “cooperation bureau” in Pyongyang to support the activities of French NGOs, emphasizing that this will be cultural bureau, and not a diplomatic mission.[26]

Years Diplomatic Relations were established,

                                alphabetical order

By JJ Oh and Insung Kim

Last Updated August 22, 2011