Embassies in North Korea are quickly closing down — and that’s a big problem



Analysis Embassies in North Korea are quickly closing down — and that’s a big problem Temporary withdrawals of Western European diplomats means fewer eyes and ears in Pyongyang for now, and in the future John Everard August 21, 2020 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Swedish embassy in Pyongyang With the withdrawal of Swedish diplomats from Pyongyang last week, the compound shared by the German, British and Swedish embassies now stands empty. Three of the seven Western European embassies in Pyongyang — as well as the French cultural office — have now been temporarily vacated. North Korea’s tough restrictions on movement, which were enacted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, are the underlying cause. But for many embassies, the last straw is a request from North Korean authorities to waive protection afforded to diplomats under the Vienna Convention. Without that protection, North Korea would be able to arrest and © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Analysis

Embassies in North Korea are quickly closing down — and that’s a big problem

Temporary withdrawals of Western European diplomats means fewer eyes and ears in Pyongyang for now, and in the future

John Everard August 21, 2020

Embassies in North Korea are quickly closing down — and that’s a big problem

Swedish embassy in Pyongyang

With the withdrawal of Swedish diplomats from Pyongyang last week, the compound shared by the German, British and Swedish embassies now stands empty.

Three of the seven Western European embassies in Pyongyang — as well as the French cultural office — have now been temporarily vacated. North Korea’s tough restrictions on movement, which were enacted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, are the underlying cause.

But for many embassies, the last straw is a request from North Korean authorities to waive protection afforded to diplomats under the Vienna Convention. Without that protection, North Korea would be able to arrest and

Embassies in North Korea are quickly closing down — and that’s a big problem

Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most –

as selected by

One more step!

Error!

Trending

Recent Stories

About the Author

John Everard

Start your day with
the North Korea stories that matter most –