List of diplomatic missions in North Korea
Encyclopedia
This is a list of diplomatic missions in North Korea
. At present, the capital of Pyongyang
hosts around 25 embassies. Most are located in a special area of the city, known as the Munsudong Diplomatic Compound. Several other countries have ambassadors accredited to North Korea in Beijing
and Seoul
.
In the absence of diplomatic or consular relations between the two countries, Sweden
is the protecting power
of the United States of America in North Korea.
Several embassies have operated intermittently in the capital. Australia
opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 1975 but was forced to close down after voting against North Korea in a UN resolution
(Australia had plans to reopen its embassy but these have not been pursued.) . Numerous countries including Albania
, Yugoslavia
, Iraq
, PDR Yemen, Portugal
, Sri Lanka
and Hungary
also had embassies in the capital that have since been closed. Nevertheless, some Western countries opened embassies in the first years of this millennium. At present seven EU countries maintain embassies in Pyongyang. These are Germany, Sweden and the UK (these three share a compound), Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria (these last two are headed not by ambassadors but by charges d'affaires).
Brazil opened an embassy in July 2009.
The Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China maintain much larger embassies than most. Their embassies are situated outside the Munsudong diplomatic area.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. At present, the capital of Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
hosts around 25 embassies. Most are located in a special area of the city, known as the Munsudong Diplomatic Compound. Several other countries have ambassadors accredited to North Korea in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
In the absence of diplomatic or consular relations between the two countries, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
is the protecting power
Protecting power
A protecting power is a state which somehow protects another state, and/or represents the interests of the protected state's citizens in a third state....
of the United States of America in North Korea.
Several embassies have operated intermittently in the capital. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 1975 but was forced to close down after voting against North Korea in a UN resolution
United Nations resolution
A United Nations resolution is a formal text adopted by a United Nations body. Although any UN body can issue resolutions, in practice most resolutions are issued by the Security Council or the General Assembly.-Legal status:...
(Australia had plans to reopen its embassy but these have not been pursued.) . Numerous countries including Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, PDR Yemen, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
also had embassies in the capital that have since been closed. Nevertheless, some Western countries opened embassies in the first years of this millennium. At present seven EU countries maintain embassies in Pyongyang. These are Germany, Sweden and the UK (these three share a compound), Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria (these last two are headed not by ambassadors but by charges d'affaires).
Brazil opened an embassy in July 2009.
The Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China maintain much larger embassies than most. Their embassies are situated outside the Munsudong diplomatic area.
Embassies
PyongyangNon-resident embassies
Resident in Beijing unless otherwise noted.| (Seoul) (Seoul) (Havana) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) | (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) (Seoul) |
See also
- Foreign relations of North KoreaForeign relations of North KoreaThe foreign relations of North Korea are often tense and unpredictable. Since the Korean War armistice in 1953, the North Korean government has been largely isolationist, becoming one of the world's most authoritarian societies...
- List of diplomatic missions of North Korea
- Visa requirements for North Korean citizensVisa requirements for North Korean citizensCitizens of North Korea are normally not allowed to exit the country, not even to be tourists. Exit visas are generally granted only to government officials, athletes and other special delegations. Those who obtain an exit visa may travel to 36 countries and territories...