North Korea also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has closed its embassy in Libya, marking the latest in a series of mission closures since late last year.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, earlier assessed the recent shutdowns as an apparent sign of North Korea’s faltering economy worsened by global sanctions.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed to NK News the closure of the North Korea’s consulate in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry also updated statistics on its website to show that North Korea has embassies in 44 countries, down from the previous 46.
It follows the DPRK’s departure from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh, Spain, Uganda, Angola, Nepal, Senegal and Guinea.
Libya is the sixth African nation from which the DPRK has withdrawn its mission, as the country appears to be pulling away from the region by either shuttering or consolidating its embassies.
“The DPRK has, at least for now, decided that neither the political nor economic benefits of its formerly close relationship with Africa are worth the candle,” John Everard, former British Ambassador to North Korea, previously told NK News.
Ryu Hyun-woo and Tae Yong-ho, who served as North Korean diplomats, previously told NK News that the closures are likely related to North Korea’s economic challenges and the impact of stringent United States (UN) sanctions limiting the embassies’ ability to generate illicit funds.
North Korea formed diplomatic ties with Libya in 1974, and former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi visited the DPRK in 1982, where he met with Kim Il Sung and signed a 10-year friendship treaty.
In November 2023, the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation announced the signing of an Egyptian-Korean agreement for the export of Libyan oil to Europe, through the Jarjoub seaport.
Egypt and the South Korean company, STX signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding development activities and strategic partnership in the economic zone of Jarjoub, located in the Egyptian governorate of Matrouh.
The agreement includes the establishment of an industrial logistics zone, and the Jarjoub seaport. This is part of the strategic plan for the development of the Matrouh region.
This involves the development of the Jarjoub port and its industrial logistics zone, the construction of silos for grains to meet the demands of Egypt, as well as re-exportation.
The agreement encompasses the creation of an oil pipeline from Libya for re-exportation to Europe.
Additionally, a factory will be established for the reassembly of used cars imported from Korea and Japan, which will be re-exported to African countries.
Furthermore, a container station will be established at the port to serve goods coming from East Asia, and heading to North and South America. Finally, a logistics base will be created to provide shipping lines for Egypt.