German Diplomat Visits North Korea: Potential Reopening of Western Embassies?

German Foreign Ministry visited North Korea for the first time since COVID-19
Possibility of checking an embassy that has been vacant for 4-years
Interpretation that North Korea is trying to step out from diplomatic isolation through exchange resumption

Officials from the German Foreign Ministry and the North Korean Embassy in China are meeting in Pyongyang. Yonhap News

There are speculations that Western diplomats who left North Korea after the onset of COVID-19 might return to Pyongyang as German diplomats have visited North Korea for the first time since the pandemic. North Korea, shocked by the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba, is believed to be trying to escape from diplomatic isolation by resuming exchanges with the West.

The Chinese Embassy in North Korea announced on the 26th that Martin Tummel, the head of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Pacific Department of the German Foreign Ministry, visited North Korea at the invitation of the North Korean Foreign Ministry and released photos of Tummel meeting with Consul Feng Chun Tai.

This is the first time that the visit of a Western diplomat to North Korea has been made public since North Korea closed its borders due to COVID-19 in January 2020. Of course, North Korea opened its borders last August but only accepted diplomats from pro-North countries such as China, Russia, Mongolia, and Cuba. A South Korean foreign ministry official met with reporters on the 27th and said, “This is the first time that the visit of a Western diplomat to North Korea has been made public since the border was closed due to COVID-19,” and that they are closely monitoring the trend of exchanges with North Korea.

In the diplomatic community, it is believed that the reason for the German diplomat’s visit to North Korea is likely to be a preliminary survey to check the status of the embassy, which has been vacant for four years, in preparation for returning to work. Since the embassy has been vacant for a long time, there is a need to check power and communication facilities, etc. Not only Germany but also other European countries that operated resident embassies in Pyongyang before COVID-19 are reported to be preparing to visit North Korea in response to North Korea’s move to reopen its borders.

There is an interpretation that North Korea tried to resume exchanges with European countries and step out of diplomatic isolation after an unexpected diplomatic establishment between South Korea and Cuba, North Korea’s brother country. Previously, North Korea took a tit-for-tat measure of leaking the possibility of a summit with Japan immediately after the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba.

A foreign ministry official said, “We expect exchanges between North Korea and countries with similar positions in Europe to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula while complying with the UN Security Council resolutions.”