S. Korea forms diplomatic relations with Cuba, further isolating N. Korea on world stage

한국, ’북한 형제국’ 쿠바와 수교 북한 압박 효과 강할 듯 Good evening. Thank you for joining us. I’m Yoon Jung-min. We start with news of South Korea forging formal ties with Cuba, --a long-time ally of North Korea. This was confirmed in a surprise announcement overnight. Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji covers this stride forward and its significance. Cuba has become the 193rd country in the world to form diplomatic relations with South Korea. In a surprise announcement on Wednesday night, Seoul’s foreign ministry said the United Nations representatives for the two countries exchanged official letters in New York, calling it a “crucial turning point.“ “The establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba, the only country in the Central American and Caribbean region with which we did not have diplomatic ties, is expected to serve as an important turning point in our efforts to strengthen diplomacy in the Latin American region.“ This leaves Syria as the only country among the UN member states that does not have diplomatic ties with South Korea. Cuba didn’t mainly because it has been, and continues to be, a close ally of North Korea. The North established diplomatic ties with Cuba in 1960, and Cuba still has an embassy in Pyongyang. The South Korean government has worked on improving relations with the communist-run island for the past 20 years. Growing popularity of Korean culture such as K-pop and K-dramas in Cuba in recent years, also added momentum. With South Korea and Cuba agreeing to open diplomatic relations, North Korea is expected to become more isolated on the global stage. In fact, a senior official from the presidential office told reporters on Thursday that North Korea will inevitably face a “political and psychological blow.“ By forging formal ties, South Korea also hopes to expand economic cooperation with Cuba. Seoul’s foreign ministry said this is expected to help support Korean companies doing business in Cuba. As of 2022, the trade volume between the two countries amounted to approximately 14 million dollars in exports and 7 million in imports. Also, Seoul aims to provide consular assistance to Koreans visiting Cuba. Before the pandemic, around 14-thousand Koreans visited Cuba annually. And there are about a thousand people descended from Koreans who moved to Mexico in 1921, during Japan’s colonial rule, who are currently living in Cuba. Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News. #SouthKorea #Cuba #Diplomacy #Diplomatic_relation #대한민국 #쿠바 #수교 #외교 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-02-15, 18:00 (KST)