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S. Korea and Cuba establish diplomatic relations

Posted February. 16, 2024 08:12,   

Updated February. 16, 2024 08:12

한국어

South Korea and Cuba officially established diplomatic ties with their missions to the United Nations, exchanging diplomatic correspondence in New York on Wednesday. Cuba is known as the socialist brother of North Korea and had not set up official diplomatic relations with South Korea prior to this. The recent establishment of diplomatic ties was proposed by Cuba early this month, and the two countries quickly reached an agreement through confidential contacts. “We had under-the-table contacts with Cuba and quickly made an announcement as North Korea had been interrupting the bilateral relations for dozens of years,” said a government official. As Cuba became the 193rd country to establish diplomatic ties with South Korea, Syria is the only U.N. member country with which South Korea has not established diplomatic relations.

Cuba’s decision to build diplomatic ties with South Korea after remaining friendly with North Korea for a long time is interpreted as a pragmatic decision to prioritize economic cooperation over ideologies. Cuba, known as the country of revolutions, has been sharing the anti-U.S. and anti-imperialism perspective with North Korea based on the bond between former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and former President of the Cuban Council of State Fidel Castro. However, the country chose economic benefits over ideological loyalty with its growing economic cooperation with South Korea, an increasing number of South Korean tourists, and the growing popularity of South Korean culture in the country.

The establishment of diplomatic ties resulted from the South Korean government’s efforts to expand exchanges and cooperation with Cuba. The Latin American country has been unenthusiastic about South Korea’s proposal to establish diplomatic relations for over 20 years. However, the country had no choice but to accept South Korea’s proposal as it has been struggling to solve its economic challenges. Its relationship with the U.S. might also have been one of the factors in the decision. As former U.S. President Donald Trump, who re-designated Cuba as a terrorism-sponsoring country, became more likely to win the presidential election again at the end of this year, Cuba must have accelerated its practical decision.

Establishing diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba will be an incident that confirm‎s the diplomatic isolation of North Korea, whose standing in the world is becoming smaller and smaller. The North, which has maintained a close relationship with Cuba with high-level visits until recently, must be in shock. However, the North must feel like it is not its place to oppose the establishment of diplomatic ties between other countries when the country publicly declares South Korea as its No.1 enemy and unchanging major enemy. North Korea has no choice but to painfully watch the South and Cuba expand bilateral cooperation and exchanges and develop a strong, friendly relationship.