Aliawati Longkumer Appointed India’s Ambassador to North Korea
Appointment
5 min read
After a four-year gap, India has appointed an ambassador to North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Ministry of External Affairs has appointed Aliawati Longkumer, a 2008 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, as the Indian ambassador to North Korea.
Aliawati Longkumer is currently the Charge d’affaires at the Indian Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Atul Malhari Gotsurve was the last Indian ambassador to North Korea.
Closure and Opening of Indian Embassy in Pyongyang
India closed its embassy in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, in July 2021 and asked its ambassador, Atul Malhari Gotsurve and its staff to return to India.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the embassy was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
India reopened the embassy in December 2024.
India-North Korea Ties and its Significance
The Korean peninsula was divided into the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and North Korea (DPRK) after the end of World War II.
South Korea is close to the United States, which has a military base there.
North Korea is communist, and it has a very close alliance with China.
North Korea is one of the most secretive countries in the world and maintains diplomatic relations with a handful of countries.
A number of sanctions have been imposed on it by the United Nations and the United States over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program.
North Korea possesses a nuclear weapon.
India established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1973. However, India has closer relations with the more prosperous South Korea and its backer, the United States of America..
In 2017, India stopped all trade ties with North Korea in compliance with the United Nations sanctions.
Importance of North Korea
North Korea has close ties with China, Russia and Iran. North Korea has sent its troops to Ukraine to fight for Russia.
Some people believe that North Korea has provided missile technology to Pakistan in return for its help in its nuclear weapon programme.
North Korea has an active missile development programme, which includes building hypersonic missiles, and India fears that these technologies could end up with Pakistan.
India needs to be present in North Korea to maintain an open communication channel with the North Korean government and safeguard its national interests.
In 2018, the Minister of State for External Affairs, V.K. Singh, visited North Korea, and North Korea publicly promised not to harm India’s security.
India is one of the few major countries with which North Korea has diplomatic relations, and India has always provided humanitarian food aid to North Korea through the United Nations' World Food Programme.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Formed on 9 September 1948 after the partition of the Korean peninsula.
It is located in East Asia.
Kim Il-sung and his family have ruled it since 1948.
It is a communist and impoverished country.
Capital- Pyongyang
Currency - North Korean Won
Supreme Leader - Kim Jong Un
