North Korea Is Closing Some Diplomatic Missions Abroad – The Diplomat

The Koreas | Diplomacy | East Asia

North Korea confirmed Friday that it’s closing a few of its diplomatic missions overseas, a transfer that rival South Korea suspects is probably going the newest signal of the North’s financial troubles amid persistent worldwide sanctions.

Earlier within the week, the South Korean authorities mentioned North Korea was transferring to shut its embassies in Uganda, Angola, and Spain, in addition to a consulate in Hong Kong, as a result of the sanctions have made it extraordinarily tough for them to proceed purported unlawful actions overseas to earn cash for his or her working bills.

In accordance with South Korean authorities information, North Korea has diplomatic relations with greater than 150 international locations however operates simply round 50 diplomatic posts overseas.

The North Korean International Ministry mentioned Friday that it’s “both closing or newly opening diplomatic missions in different international locations” consistent with unspecified modifications within the worldwide surroundings and the North’s exterior coverage.

South Korean officers couldn’t instantly affirm if North Korea is really opening new diplomatic missions overseas.

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In feedback posted on the North Korean ministry’s web site, an unidentified spokesperson mentioned it’s regular for sovereign states to relocate their diplomatic forces overseas in pursuit of nationwide pursuits. They mentioned North Korea will proceed to take “essential diplomatic measures” for the sake of its long-term exterior ties, however didn’t elaborate.

North Korean diplomats overseas have been tied to instances of alleged smuggling of tobacco, alcohol, medicine, gold bars, ivory, and rhino horns, in addition to cash laundering and different illicit actions, to fund their working prices and transmit badly wanted international foreign money again dwelling.

However South Korea’s Unification Ministry mentioned Tuesday that the North determined to shut some diplomatic missions as a result of they confronted difficulties incomes international foreign money as a result of worldwide sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile assessments.

South Korea’s International Ministry mentioned Thursday that North Korea might shut further diplomatic missions.

North Korean state media mentioned Monday that its ambassadors to Angola and Uganda paid “farewell” visits to these international locations’ leaders the earlier week. Chinese language International Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin mentioned Wednesday that China respects North Korea’s choice to shut its consulate common in Hong Kong.

In recent times, North Korea’s fragile financial system was badly hit by pandemic-related restrictions, sanctions, and its personal mismanagement. However monitoring teams say there are not any indicators of a humanitarian disaster or a social chaos that might threaten absolutely the rule by chief Kim Jong Un.