On March 16, North Korean Ambassador Ma Chol Su met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, according to reports from the Cuban presidential office’s social media and state-run media. North Korean authorities sent congratulatory messages to various countries on the Day of the Sun (April 15), but it was confirmed that Cuba was not mentioned. This appears to expand the rift in diplomatic relations that arose due to the shock of establishing diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba last February.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, on the 1st, Kim Jong Un sent congratulatory messages and letters to various countries to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s 112th birth anniversary.
The report mentioned China, Russia, and several Western countries, but Cuba did not appear. It seems that the relationship with Cuba, which used to declare itself a brother country and an anti-US ally along with Venezuela and Nicaragua, has confronted a crisis since the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba.
However, the Cuban authorities have maintained their posture, demonstrating that there are no abnormal signals in diplomacy, and have publicly sent congratulatory messages to North Korea through social media to mark the birthday of Kim Il Sung.
President Diaz-Canel uploaded a 28-second video of his meeting with Ambassador Ma on his X (old Twitter) account: “North Korea, a brother country of us, will always be able to rely on Cuba’s support, solidarity, and unwavering friendship in all fields.”
He mentioned this to Ambassador Ma, who is working on his diplomatic mission. Given the Cuban leadership board’s deliberate reaction to the relationship with North Korea, Cuba is expected to have sent a congratulatory message or letter through diplomatic channels.
Earlier on the 19th of last month, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the congratulatory message from Raul Castro, the former General Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, to Kim Jong Un on Kim Il Sung’s birthday was publicized through Korean and English articles.
The article only wrote the sender’s name as ‘Comrade Raul Castro Ruz’ without the country name Cuba, which is interpreted to portray a distressing relationship with Cuba.
Meanwhile, North Korea is establishing contact with several Western countries and opening embassies in Pyongyang to create a rift in the alliance between South Korea, the US, and Japan.
Kim Yo Jong, the Deputy Director of the Labor Party, has also been active in diplomatic behavior recently, requesting a Japan-North Korea meeting through a statement. North Korea also seems to be implying a countermeasure against Cuba by closely aligning with the Caribbean island nation of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has decided to close its embassy in South Korea for the first time in 10 years. Experts in Nicaraguan international relations suggest this is likely a conscious decision due to the friendly relationship with North Korea rather than ‘financial difficulties.’ The relationship between the two countries, which was not intimate 2-3 years ago, agreed to establish an embassy in Pyongyang last year under the common objective of ‘anti-US.’
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