There is speculation that North Korea will not inform its citizens regarding the diplomatic relationship establishment between South Korea and Cuba, fearing that the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Un of the Workers’ Party may be shaken.
On the 26th, Kim Jong Won, a researcher at the National Security Strategy Research Institute, argued in the issue brief “Implications and Points of South Korea-Cuba Diplomatic Relations” that South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations would have caused a considerable shock within North Korea.
In December of 2023 at the 9th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Party, General Secretary Kim presented a foreign strategy to develop strategic cooperative relations with independent anti-imperialist countries, including Russia and China, as well as Cuba, North Korea’s brother country, to counter the United States and the West.
The fact that Cuba, a key country in promoting anti-Americanism and the Non-Aligned Movement, has established diplomatic relations with South Korea is a harsh blow to General Secretary Kim’s foreign strategy.
Researcher Kim said, “Kim Jong Un’s regime would have been significantly confused in its domestic and foreign strategy due to feelings of betrayal towards Cuba,.” He also pointed out that North Korea is completely silent about the diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba to point this out.
Previously, North Korea was aware of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Soviet Union (now Russia) in 1990 and between South Korea and China in 1992, reacted nervously and criticized internally.
Researcher Kim predicted that North Korea will keep the fact of South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations private internally, considering that if North Korean residents hear the news of South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations, it could negatively affect Kim Jong Un’s leadership and internal cohesion within the regime.”
North Korean media are not reporting at all on the facts of South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations, let alone the Cuban embassy in North Korea and other Cuban trends. Cuba was also excluded from the congratulatory news received from various countries on the 82nd birthday of Defense Chairman Kim Jong Il (February 16th). The last time Cuba appeared in the media was the day after the announcement of diplomatic relations on the 15th. This can be interpreted as indirectly expressing dissatisfaction with Cuba in a situation where it cannot openly criticize the facts of South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations.
Researcher Kim pointed out that North Korea itself provided the basis for the establishment of South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations. North Korea provided a justification for Cuba to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea by declaring inter-Korean relations as a two-state relationship. South Korea-Cuba diplomatic relations also proved that South Korea is needed for Cuba to overcome the current economic crisis.
Even considering that Cuba secretly pursued diplomatic relations while taking into account its relationship with North Korea, the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba is a disaster for North Korean diplomacy, according to Researcher Kim. In 1990, when South Korea and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations, North Korea threatened the Soviet foreign minister in 1988 that it would withdraw its diplomatic missions other than the embassy in Moscow if diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Soviet Union were normalized. In 1992, when South Korea and China established diplomatic relations, China explained the inevitability of diplomatic relations to President Kim Il Sung and asked for his understanding.
Researcher Kim predicted that the incompetence of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Foreign Minister Choi Son Hui, will be criticized internally.
kukoo@news1.kr