Nepal: North Korea Pulls in its Diplomatic Horns

By Rajaram Gautam

After nearly five decades of diplomaticrelations with Nepal, North Korea has decided to close its embassy in Kathmandu. On November 6, 2023, NorthKorea’s Ambassador, Jo Yong Man,1 informed the Nepali prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda – ironically,head of the minority but ruling Maoist party– that economic realities necessitateddealing with Kathmandu from afar. Diplomatically, this will likely be from NewDelhi; militarily, from Beijing.

Coming amidst a larger wave of embassyclosings, the move was in one sense not surprising. On the other hand, theadvantages of Nepal as a listening postand a center for funds generation doesraise questions. For the many illegal andcontroversial activities carried out by North Korea under the guise of diplomaticrelations have at times caused difficultiesfor Nepal. What seemed at one point a relativelypainless Nepali way to support peacefulreunification of the Korean peninsula andmaintain amicable relations with both North and South Korea, had increasinglybecome a pain in the diplomatic neck. Thus the case offers a window into a reorientation occurring in Pyongyang, providing a view both of past courses of actionand a possible, more disturbing future.

Three Concerns

Before looking for an answer to the question why North Korea left Nepal, itis necessary to answer the question why itestablished an embassy there in the first place. Politically, the North Koreans were attracted to the strong left-wing sent...