South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba on Wednesday, its mission to the United Nations said, in a surprise announcement that could pose a setback to North Korea that has long boasted brotherly ties with the Latin American country.
In New York, the two countries’ representatives to the United Nations exchanged diplomatic notes, marking the establishment of formal ties. Cuba is the 193rd country which South Korea has built diplomatic relations with.
The announcement marked a culmination of Seoul’s steadfast efforts to build a formal relationship with Cuba and expand its diplomatic foothold in Central and South America on the back of growing cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Although Cuba officially recognized South Korea in 1949, bilateral exchanges were effectively severed after Fidel Castro seized power in a 1959 revolution. On the contrary, Cuba and North Korea — Cold War-era allies — have maintained brotherly ties since they forged diplomatic relations in 1960.
Observers said that official relations between Seoul and Havana could deepen Pyongyang’s diplomatic isolation and put more pressure on the recalcitrant regime to shift away from its provocative streak and return to dialogue.
