North Korea shutters several of its embassies abroad

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01st Nov, 2023. 12:16 pm
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North Korea shutters several of its embassies abroad.
The country’s ambassadors conducted “farewell” visits to leaders last week.
Over a dozen missions may close due to international sanctions.

North Korea is on the brink of closing approximately a dozen embassies, including those in Spain, Hong Kong, and various African nations, potentially resulting in the closure of nearly 25 percent of its diplomatic missions worldwide.

South Korea’s unification ministry revealed that North Korea’s recent embassy closures indicate financial challenges faced by the reclusive nation overseas due to international sanctions.

North Korean state media outlet KCNA announced that the country’s ambassadors conducted “farewell” visits to leaders in Angola and Uganda last week, coinciding with reports of embassy closures in both African nations.

Angola and Uganda have maintained friendly relations with North Korea since the 1970s, involving military cooperation and unique sources of foreign currency, including statue-building projects.

This series of embassy closures could mark a significant shift in North Korea’s foreign policy, potentially impacting diplomatic engagement, humanitarian efforts within the isolated nation, and the generation of illicit revenue.

Chad O’Carroll, the founder of the North Korea-focused website NK Pro, suggested that over a dozen missions may close due to international sanctions, North Korea’s global disengagement trend, and the possible weakening of the North Korean economy.

Seoul’s unification ministry, responsible for inter-Korean affairs, attributed the embassy withdrawals to the impact of international sanctions aimed at curtailing funding for North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

The ministry stated that North Korea’s financial difficulties, exacerbated by the strengthening of sanctions, have made it challenging to sustain these embassies, even in traditionally friendly countries.

North Korea officially maintains diplomatic relations with 159 countries but had 53 diplomatic missions overseas, including three consulates and three representative offices, until its withdrawal from Angola and Uganda.

In addition to these closures, North Korea is expected to shut down its embassy in Spain, with its mission in Italy handling affairs in the neighboring country, as reported by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

Correspondence on the website of the Spanish Communist Party confirmed the embassy’s closure, with a letter dated October 26 from the North Korean embassy announcing the decision.

The North Korean embassy in Madrid gained notoriety in 2019 when a group seeking the overthrow of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un staged a break-in, during which they restrained and silenced embassy staff before absconding with computers and other equipment.

North Korea decried the incident as a “grave breach of sovereignty and a terrorist attack,” accusing the United States of not thoroughly investigating the group and refusing to extradite its leader.

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North Korea shutters several of its embassies abroad

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