Ministry of Foreign Affairs (North Korea)
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.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.
Organization
In addition to the foreign minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a First Vice Minister and seven other vice ministers. The current First Vice Minister is Kim Kye-gwan. The other vice ministers include Choe Son-hui, Han Song-ryol, and Choe Hui-chol.The Ministry includes the following organization:
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, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
- 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
- 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