North Korea Expands Diplomatic Front with Western Countries... New Credentials Presented by Swiss Ambassador to Pyongyang

The Swiss ambassador to North Korea presented credentials on the 20th. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea had closed its borders except to allied countries such as China and Russia, but recently it appears to be expanding its diplomatic front mainly with Western countries.

On the 21st, the North Korean Rodong Sinmun reported, "The credentials of the Swiss ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to our country (North Korea), sent by the President of the Swiss Confederation, were presented to Comrade Kim Jong Un." Choe Ryong Hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, who was delegated by Chairman Kim, received the credentials from J?rg Stephan Burri, the Swiss ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall the previous day. However, Switzerland does not have an embassy in North Korea, and the Swiss ambassador to China concurrently serves as the ambassador to North Korea.

The Rodong Sinmun also added, "Chairman Choe had a conversation with the ambassador in a friendly atmosphere." North Korea and Switzerland marked the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations last month.

North Korea closed its borders after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. As a result, most countries withdrew their missions from Pyongyang. Around August 2023, the borders were reopened, but embassy operations were allowed only on a limited basis to pro-North countries such as China, Russia, Mongolia, and Cuba.

Then, in September and November of last year, Sweden and Poland reopened their embassies in North Korea, and with the recent appointment of the new Swiss ambassador, it appears North Korea is broadening diplomatic contacts with Western countries. Currently, it is known that 15 countries operate embassies in North Korea.