North Korea has closed its embassies in Senegal and Guinea, in a move to "reduce spending amid economic difficulties," according to Yonhap News Agency. This latest closure comes after North Korea shut down its embassies in Angola, Nepal, Bangladesh, Spain, and Uganda in recent months. The total number of North Korean diplomatic missions has decreased from 53 to 46 as of today, according to an official from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
North Korea established diplomatic relations with Senegal and Guinea in 1972 and 1969, respectively. The official noted that the prolonged economic difficulties resulting from international sanctions are the main reason for the latest closure. According to the official, Pyongyang has not yet added this information to the list, as the closure has not been updated on the city government's website.
Last month, North Korea stated it would close and open new diplomatic missions "according to the changing global environment and national diplomatic policy," without providing further details. The South Korean unification ministry assessed the latest closure as a "clear sign of the stagnation of North Korea's economy, which has worsened due to global sanctions." North Korea is subject to strict United Nations sanctions, which, among other things, call for a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources to prevent access to hard currency.
