North Korea | July 12, 2024
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As Reuters reported on 31 October 2023, North Korea announced a series of embassy closures around the world, mainly in (but not limited to) Africa.
World Watch Research analyst Thomas Muller comments: “This move sees a further 18% of all North Korean diplomatic representations across the globe closed down, bringing down the number of active embassies from 53 to 43. Representations in Angola, Bangladesh, DRC, Guinea, Hong Kong, Libya, Nepal, Senegal, Spain and Uganda were affected.”
Thomas Muller continues: “The reasons for this move are not clear, but most likely varied. One reason may be a lack of resources, so that authorities have to tighten control on expenses as much as possible (East Asia Forum, 8 December 2023). Another reason may be the acknowledgment that it has become more and more difficult to earn hard currency via embassies over the years (38North, 13 December 2023).
Thomas Muller concludes: “In any case, the closures continue a trend developing over several years and will further limit the already scarce windows of interaction with the North Korean regime and increase the challenge to highlight the situation of the country’s oppressed citizens, especially the hard-pressed Christian minority. It may also reflect a new geopolitical reality that North Korea does not feel isolated anymore, now that the ties with Russia and China are warming. The latter is also helping North Korea to earn much needed hard currency, e.g., by importing (and re-exporting) false eye-lashes, beards and wigs, a business Reuters reported to be worth 167 million USD in 2023 (Reuters, 3 February 2024).
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