The death of the longtime Russian ambassador to North Korea caught many in political circles by surprise, bringing allies and critics together to reflect on the late diplomat’s storied career. 

Russian Amb. Alexander Matsegora died at 70 on Saturday in Pyongyang, shortly following his last official trip to Moscow and nearly three weeks after celebrating his birthday on Nov. 21, several informed sources told NK News.

Foreign policy experts who knew Matsegora personally or closely followed his work expressed a range of emotions: some said they were deeply saddened by his death while others viewed him as a controversial