Ministry of Foreign Affairs (North Korea)
| 외무성 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 9, 1948 |
| Type | Government Ministry |
| Jurisdiction | Government of North Korea |
| Headquarters | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Parent agency | Cabinet |
| Child agency | |
| Website | www |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 외무성 |
| Hanja | 外務省 |
| RR | Oemuseong |
| MR | Oemusŏng |
| North Korea portal |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the government ministry of North Korea, responsible for conducting foreign relations of the country. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is in charge of the ministry.
History
The Ministry was established in 1948.[1]
In May 2024, after Kim Jong Un called for large changes in North Korea's reunification policy, Daily NK reported that the Ministry was given responsibilities for handling relations with South Korea, taking those responsibilities from the United Front Department.[2]
Organization
In addition to the foreign minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a First Vice Minister and seven other vice ministers.[3] The current First Vice Minister is Kim Kye-gwan. The other vice ministers include Choe Son-hui, Han Song-ryol,[4] and Choe Hui-chol.[5]
The Ministry includes the following organization:[6]
Internal organization
- Asia Affairs Department 1: Oversees China and Japan
- Asia Affairs Department 2: Oversees Mongolia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei, Nepal, Iran, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Vanuatu, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
- European Affairs Department 1: Oversees Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Georgia
- European Affairs Department 2: Oversees Germany, Italy, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, San Marino, Vatican City, Monaco, Andorra, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and is responsible for liaison with the European Council, the European Commission, the European External Action Service, and other EU headquarters.
- North American Affairs Department: Responsible for the United States and Canada
- African, Arab and Latin American Affairs Department: Responsible for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, the Gambia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, DR Congo, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Chad, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, Algeria, Mauritania, Ethiopia, the Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Western Sahara, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Guyana, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua Barbuda, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Barbados, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico
- Department of Press and Information
- Department of Consular Affairs
- Department of Treaty and Legal Affairs
- Protocol Department
- Department of International Organizations
- Department of Economic Cooperation
Directly affiliated institutions
- Institute for Disarmament and Peace
- Institute for American Studies[7]
- Institute for Studies of Japan
Sponsored civil organizations
- Korea-China Association for Civil Exchange Promotion
- Korea-Canada Cooperation Association
- Korea-Japan Interchange Association
- Association for the Promotion of International Economic and Technological *Exchange
- Korea-Europe Association
- Korea-Asia Association
- Korea-Russia Association for Promotion of Exchange and Cooperation
- Korea-Africa Association
- Korea-Arab Association
- Korea-Latin America Association
List of office holders
The following is a list of foreign ministers of North Korea since its founding in 1948:[1]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Head of state | Premier | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | Pak Hon-yong 박헌영 (1900–1955) |
9 September 1948 | 3 March 1953 | 4 years, 5 months | Kim Tu-bong | Kim Il Sung | |
| 2 | General Nam Il 남일 (1915–1976) |
3 March 1953 | 23 October 1959 | 6 years, 7 months | Kim Tu-bong Choe Yong-gon | ||
| 3 | Pak Song-chol 박성철 (1913–2008) |
23 October 1959 | 1 July 1970 | 10 years, 8 months | Choe Yong-gon | ||
| 4 | Ho Dam 허담 (1929–1991) |
1 July 1970 | 1 December 1983 | 13 years, 5 months | Choe Yong-gon Kim Il Sung |
Kim Il Sung Kim Il Pak Song-chol Ri Jong-ok | |
| 5 | Kim Yong-nam 김영남 (1928–2025) |
1 December 1983 | 5 September 1998 | 14 years, 9 months | Kim Il Sung Office vacant |
Ri Jong-ok Kang Song-san Ri Kun-mo Yon Hyong-muk Kang Song-san Hong Song-nam (acting) | |
| 6 | Paek Nam-sun 백남순 (1929–2007) |
5 September 1998 | 2 January 2007 | 8 years, 3 months | Kim Yong-nam | Hong Song-nam Pak Pong-ju | |
| — | Kang Sok-ju 강석주 (1939–2016) Acting |
3 January 2007 | 18 May 2007 | 4 months | Pak Pong-ju Kim Yong-il | ||
| 7 | Pak Ui-chun 박의춘 (born 1932) |
18 May 2007 | 9 April 2014 | 6 years, 10 months | Kim Yong-nam Kim Jong Il Office vacant Kim Jong Un |
Kim Yong-il Choe Yong-rim Pak Pong-ju | |
| 8 | Ri Su-yong 리수용 (born 1940) |
9 April 2014 | 9 May 2016 | 2 years, 1 month | Kim Jong Un | Pak Pong-ju | |
| 9 | Ri Yong-ho 리용호 (born 1956) |
13 May 2016 | 18 January 2020 | 3 years, 8 months | Pak Pong-ju Kim Jae-ryong | ||
| 10 | Ri Son-gwon 리선권 |
21 January 2020 | 11 June 2022 | 2 years, 141 days | Kim Jae-ryong Kim Tok-hun | ||
| 11 | Choe Son-hui 최선희 (born 1964) |
11 June 2022 | Incumbent | 3 years, 283 days | Kim Tok-hun Pak Thae-song | ||
Timeline
See also
- List of diplomatic missions of North Korea
- List of diplomatic missions in North Korea
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)
References
- ^ a b "Foreign ministers E-K". rulers.org. B. Schemmel. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Mun, Dong Hui (29 March 2024). "N. Korea shifts United Front Department roles to foreign ministry, military". Daily NK. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "Choe Son-hui, N.K. diplomat on U.S. affairs, promoted to vice minister". Yonhap. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ Hotham, Oliver (27 February 2018). "Choe Son Hui promoted to vice-minister at DPRK foreign ministry: sources". NK News. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "FM Delegation Leaves for Singapore". Rodong Sinmun. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "Structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Smith, Josh (10 July 2019). Perry, Michael (ed.). "North Korea calls South Korea's F-35 jet purchases 'extremely dangerous action'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019.