Eleanor Finch
North Korea's foreign relations have been marked by conflict with South Korea and historical ties to the Soviet Union. As of 2021, only 24 countries have embassies in Pyongyang, and North Korea has diplomatic relations with 160 states. The United States does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea and does not maintain an embassy in the country. Sweden serves as the protecting power for the US in North Korea. The US remains committed to the denuclearization of North Korea, which has been a persistent and complex foreign policy issue. South Korea has also established diplomatic relations with Syria, a longtime friend of North Korea.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of countries North Korea has diplomatic relations with | 160 |
| Countries that have severed diplomatic ties with North Korea | Iraq, Myanmar, Botswana, Portugal, UAE, Jordan, Malaysia |
| Countries that have limited diplomatic contact with North Korea | Canada |
| Countries with an embassy in Pyongyang | 24 |
| Countries North Korea has no diplomatic relations with | United States, France |
| Countries North Korea has a permanent mission to the United Nations in | New York, Paris |
| Countries North Korea has established diplomatic relations with | Soviet Union, China, Syria |
| Countries North Korea has provided arms and troops to | Russia |
| Countries that have established diplomatic relations with South Korea | Syria |
| Countries South Korea has diplomatic relations with | All 191 UN member states except North Korea |
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What You'll Learn
The US's role in diplomacy
The United States does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea and does not maintain an official presence in the country. Sweden acts as the protecting power for the US in North Korea and provides limited consular services to US citizens through its embassy in Pyongyang. The North Korean government often delays or denies Swedish officials access to detained US citizens. While the US has no embassy in North Korea, the country does maintain a permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.
The US has been a key player in international efforts to resolve the confrontation on the Korean peninsula, known as the Korean conflict. The Biden administration has emphasised the importance of alliances and democratic values in its foreign policy approach towards North Korea. The US remains committed to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, a stance that has been a persistent and complex issue in foreign policy. The growing risk that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose to the US has underscored the need to pursue policy objectives through various tools of statecraft.
Public diplomacy, which aims to understand, inform, and influence foreign audiences, is seen as an essential tool in achieving long-term policy objectives in North Korea. It is believed that public diplomacy can spur domestic change in North Korea, leading to improved human rights conditions and, eventually, denuclearisation. The US has also employed external pressure through sanctions and UN resolutions to compel North Korea to change its behaviour.
The US has faced criticism from North Korea for its role in the stalled nuclear negotiations. North Korea's vice foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, stated that the US would be held responsible if the opportunity for diplomacy over the Korean peninsula issue was lost. North Korea has called for an end to joint military drills between the US and South Korea, as well as the lifting of international sanctions.
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South Korea's diplomatic efforts
One of South Korea's significant diplomatic efforts has been its engagement with North Korea through inter-Korean summits and negotiations. In 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a series of historic summits, agreeing to work towards peace and denuclearization. These meetings marked a significant step forward in diplomacy, with both sides committing to improving inter-Korean relations and reducing military tensions.
However, North Korea's nuclear program and missile tests have consistently complicated diplomatic efforts. South Korea has had to balance its pursuit of peace with addressing the security concerns posed by North Korea's nuclear ambitions. In response to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, South Korea has participated in joint military exercises with the United States, including aerial drills involving long-range bombers and fighter jets. These exercises are intended to demonstrate deterrence and strengthen the alliance's operational capabilities against North Korea's nuclear advancements.
South Korea has also employed diplomatic strategies to isolate North Korea and exert pressure on the regime. For example, South Korea established diplomatic relations with Syria in 2025, a longtime ally of North Korea, following the ousting of Bashar Assad. This move was intended to hinder North Korea's diplomatic footing, which relies heavily on a limited number of Cold War allies. South Korea's diplomatic outreach to Syria and other nations aims to reduce North Korea's international support and pressure the regime to change its behavior.
Additionally, public diplomacy has been a crucial tool in South Korea's arsenal. By engaging with North Korean citizens and disseminating information, South Korea seeks to influence public opinion within North Korea and potentially spur domestic change. These efforts have drawn strong reactions from the North Korean regime, indicating their impact on North Korean society.
In conclusion, South Korea's diplomatic efforts with North Korea have been multifaceted and challenging. While pursuing peace and denuclearization, South Korea has had to navigate complex historical tensions, security threats, and the involvement of other nations. Through summits, joint military exercises, strategic alliances, and public diplomacy, South Korea continues to strive for a stable and secure Korean peninsula.
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China's long-term view
China and North Korea share a 1,416 km-long land border. In the 1950s and 1960s, many ethnic Koreans in Northeast China crossed the border into North Korea to escape economic hardship and famine in China. In recent years, the flow of refugees has reversed, with a considerable number of North Koreans fleeing to China. China and North Korea signed a border treaty in 1962 to resolve their un-demarcated land border.
China became North Korea's biggest trading partner after the fall of the Soviet bloc. However, in the 1980s, China increased trade relations with South Korea, which culminated in the full normalization of diplomatic relations in 1992. The North Koreans perceived this as a betrayal of the 'One Korea' policy, as they were no longer recognized by China as the sole legitimate government in the peninsula. China subsequently stopped providing discounted goods and interest-free loans to North Korea, leading to a decline in trade. However, China began subsidizing trade with North Korea again in the 1990s to prevent a refugee crisis during the North Korean famine.
In 2017, North Korea's confrontation with the United States appeared to push the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war. Beijing responded with stark warnings and support for tougher U.N. Security Council sanctions. However, as diplomacy accelerated, China moved to repair its relationship with North Korea through summits between President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un. China has also shifted its posture towards North Korea, indicating that it is prepared to live with a nuclear North Korea.
China's revitalized relationship with North Korea means the United States can no longer rely on Beijing to support increased sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang. China will also demand a seat at the table during discussions of a peninsular peace regime or a treaty to end the Korean War. Beijing may see an opportunity to use its stabilized relationship with North Korea to accelerate the waning of U.S. influence in Northeast Asia and the eroding of U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateral security cooperation.
In terms of China's long-term view, it seems that China values its strategic partnership with North Korea, even if it is problematic. China has continued to deepen economic and political ties with North Korea despite North Korea's provocative actions and resistance to following China's development path. China's leadership has also taken steps to cultivate a closer political relationship with Seoul, with Chinese economic ties to South Korea far surpassing those with the North.
While China has expressed support for denuclearization in the past, the common goal that once inspired U.S.-China cooperation on North Korea is disappearing. China may be willing to tolerate a nuclear North Korea as long as it does not resume nuclear or long-range missile testing. However, North Korea shows no sign of abandoning its nuclear and missile programs, which are a source of instability near China's border.
In summary, China's long-term view of diplomacy with North Korea seems to be focused on maintaining a stable and predictable relationship, even if it is not always harmonious. China may be willing to live with a nuclear-armed North Korea as long as it does not directly threaten Chinese interests. At the same time, China may seek to use its relationship with North Korea to challenge U.S. influence in the region and accelerate the erosion of U.S. alliances.
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North Korea's nuclear threat
North Korea's nuclear research program began in the 1960s with Soviet assistance, on the condition that it joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Concerns about North Korea's potential non-civilian nuclear ambitions were first raised in the late 1980s, and in 1993, North Korea announced its intention to withdraw from the NPT. By 1994, the United States believed that North Korea had enough reprocessed plutonium to produce about ten bombs.
North Korea has continued to pursue its nuclear ambitions despite strong opposition from the international community. In 2013, the country conducted its third nuclear test, declared itself a "nuclear state," and adopted the "Byungjin" policy, which promotes economic development and the building of nuclear forces simultaneously. In 2016, North Korea conducted its fourth and fifth nuclear tests, and in 2017, the U.S. estimated that North Korea would have a reliable nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by early 2018.
North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a significant threat to the United States and its allies, particularly South Korea and Japan. Pyongyang has long cited defense cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea as a justification for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, claiming that they are necessary for self-defense and safeguarding national sovereignty. The U.S. and South Korea have formed a mutual defense alliance, with American military personnel stationed in South Korea to deter North Korean aggression.
The North Korean nuclear issue has been addressed through diplomatic efforts such as the Six-Party Talks, involving South and North Korea, the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia. However, these talks have not been successful in reaching a consensus on nuclear facilities and material verification. The international community remains unified in its opposition to North Korea's nuclear ambitions, as reflected in various UN Security Council resolutions.
The United States, under the Biden administration, emphasizes the importance of alliances and democratic values in its approach to North Korea. Public diplomacy, which aims to understand, inform, and influence foreign audiences, is seen as a crucial tool in achieving long-term policy objectives, including denuclearization, improved human rights conditions, and behavioral change in the North Korean regime.
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The Kim regime's response
The Kim regime has also been hostile to the inflow of foreign information into the country, calling it a "vicious cancer" and seeing it as a threat to its authority. This response indicates that external information is having a significant impact on North Korean society, one that the regime finds undermining.
North Korea has also responded to international sanctions and pressure with resentment and a sense of betrayal. They have called for an end to joint military drills between the US and South Korea and for the lifting of international sanctions. The regime has also been reluctant to engage in meaningful nuclear negotiations, often stalling or demanding attitude changes from other parties, particularly the US.
However, there have been some instances of positive responses from the Kim regime. Following Kim Il Sung's visit to Moscow in 1984, Soviet-DPRK relations improved dramatically, leading to renewed arms deals and increased economic aid. North Korea has also made efforts to improve diplomatic relations with developed capitalist countries following the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.
Overall, the Kim regime's response to diplomacy has been complex and often unpredictable, reflecting the challenging nature of foreign relations with North Korea.
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Frequently asked questions
Several countries have severed diplomatic ties with North Korea, including Iraq, Myanmar, Botswana, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Malaysia, and the United States.
The North Korean nuclear threat is one of the most critical foreign policy issues facing the United States. The risk posed by the Kim regime's nuclear and missile programs has led to a focus on denuclearization.
The United States does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea and does not maintain an embassy in the country. Sweden serves as the protecting power for U.S. citizens in North Korea.
Public diplomacy, or influencing foreign audiences, is seen as a tool to achieve long-term policy objectives in North Korea. It aims to spur domestic change, improve human rights conditions, and ultimately lead to denuclearization.
Access to North Korean citizens is challenging, and the country has stringent border controls. Additionally, some countries have limited diplomatic contact, and North Korea's nuclear weapons program has raised concerns in the international community.
