North Korea’s relations with Cuba: Revolutionary comrades and brothers-in-arms

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North Korea’s relations with Cuba: Revolutionary comrades and brothers-in-arms

Long united against U.S interventionism, the Havana protests show how far apart the two friends’ societies have drifted

Benjamin R. Young July 13, 2021

North Korea’s relations with Cuba: Revolutionary comrades and brothers-in-arms

Amidst widespread protests in Cuba, the diplomatic relationship between Pyongyang and Havana deserves greater attention.

A shared belief in anti-Americanism and revolutionary socialism forms the basis of North Korea’s longstanding relationship with Cuba. For more than sixty years, the Kim family regime has had close ties with the Cuban communist government, which the North Korean state-run media has labeled as “brothers-in-arms.”

About the Author

Benjamin R. Young

Benjamin R. Young is an Assistant Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). He is the author of Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World (Stanford University Press, 2021). He received his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in 2018. He has previously taught at the U.S. Naval War College and Dakota State University. He has published peer-reviewed articles on North Korean history and politics in a number of scholarly journals and is a regular contributor to NK News.

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