DPRK Establishes Relations with South Sudan

A view of South Sudan's capital Juba (Photo: Google image)

DPRK Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kim Hyok Chol, signed a diplomatic agreement with the newly established county of South Sudan.  According to an 18 November report in KCNA, Kim met Arop Kuol Deng in Ethiopia where they completed the agreement.  Yonhap reports:

North Korea said Friday it has established full diplomatic relations with South Sudan, the new African country that gained independence in June.

The diplomatic accord was signed this week in Ethiopia between Kim Hyok-chol, North Korea’s ambassador to Ethiopia, and Arop Kuol Deng, South Sudan’s envoy to Addis Ababa, the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report.

North Korea and South Sudan “agreed to open their diplomatic ties … on the basis of the principle of respect for sovereignty, equality, reciprocity and non-interference,” the KCNA said.

South Korea established diplomatic ties with South Sudan in July.

Yang Hyong Sop Visits Africa

Yang Hyong Sop (Yang Hyo'ng-so)

SPA Presidium Vice President visited Africa during 26 May to 9 June.  He departed the country on 26 May and traveled to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.  Yang spent four (4) days in Equatorial Guinea, according to its government which reported on 4 June:

The Vice President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Yang Hyong Sop, was received on the afternoon of Thursday, June 2, by members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on his arrival at the airport in Malabo.

During his stay in Malabo on a State visit, the North Korean Vice President will meet with Prime Minister Ignacio Milam Tang at the Government headquarters, and with the President of the Republic, H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the People’s Palace of Malabo.

Also during his stay, he has planned a meeting with the representatives of North Korean companies operating in Equatorial Guinea and a visit to the places of interest in the city of Malabo, before his departure.

Yang has visited Africa on several occasions between 1999 and 2007.  Interestingly, as a member of the Political Bureau, Yang was not in the DPRK during its extended meeting on 6 June.