What does Australia’s relationship with North Korea look like? “Non-existent,” says Ramesh Thakur, Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University Crawford School of Public Policy.

This may not come as a surprise today, given Australia’s vocal role in enforcing international sanctions on North Korea and strong calls for denuclearization. As expected of an Asia-Pacific country with foreign policy aligned with the U.S., bilateral ties are limited and modest, at best.

The lack of Australia-DPRK relations was highlighted in June when Australian student Alek Sigleywas detained in North Korea — Sweden had to act on Australia’s behalf to secure his