Military Cooperation Extends to Vietnam... North Korea Initiates 'Face-to-Face Diplomacy'

One Year After Lifting Border Closure Order... Full-Scale Face-to-Face Diplomacy
Efforts to Expand Contacts Mainly with Traditional Allies
Strengthening Sanctions on North Korea... Cooperation with Russia and Others Likely Difficult

North Korea is opening its gates again. It appears to be gearing up for full-scale 'face-to-face diplomacy' one year after lifting the 'border closure' imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak. While expanding contacts by engaging in military cooperation with Vietnam following Russia, economic exchanges seem unlikely due to sanctions against North Korea.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense on the 20th, Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, visited North Korea on the 18th at North Korea's invitation. During talks with Kim Min-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defense of North Korea, they discussed military cooperation in areas such as information sharing, military technology, defense industry, military medical services, and border issues. They also agreed on high-level personnel exchanges and strengthening cooperation in multilateral forums. The two sides will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.

Hwang Suan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, paid a courtesy call on Kang Sun-nam, North Korean Minister of Defense.
[Photo by Vietnam Ministry of National Defense]

After lifting the border closure order last summer, North Korea has been expanding face-to-face diplomacy overseas, focusing on socialist countries, its traditional allies. The most blatant partner with whom it is strengthening illicit cooperation is Russia. Choe Son-hui, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who rarely appeared on the diplomatic stage, visited Russia on the 17th (local time) and met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In addition, since July, North Korea has successively appointed ambassadors to Vietnam, Singapore, Romania, Cuba, Thailand, and other countries, and the North Korean Foreign Ministry delegation has been making extensive visits to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. This is interpreted as a strategic move to improve relations with Southeast Asian countries and aim for civilian-level economic exchanges and humanitarian aid.

However, due to strengthened sanctions against North Korea, its diplomacy is inevitably quite limited. Although urgent issues may be addressed through Russia, it is widely believed that meaningful economic cooperation from other countries will be difficult to obtain.

Unusual trends have also been steadily detected in relations with China, which has long claimed to be North Korea's backer. Although the two sides declared 2024 as the 'Year of DPRK-China Friendship' to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, there has been little exchange. China did not send an ambassador to the September 9th event commemorating the founding of the North Korean regime. It has also been reported that the North Korean authorities have even banned watching Chinese dramas.