Australia–North Korea relations
Bilateral relations / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Australia–North Korea relations (Korean: 오스트랄리아-조선민주주의인민공화국 관계) refers to the existing bilateral relationship between Australia and North Korea. Relations were officially established on 31 July 1974 when Australia extended diplomatic recognition to North Korea under the Whitlam government.[1] Overall, relations have been stressed and at times, tense, due to Australia's historical involvement in the Korean War and military alliance with the United States, and contemporary disputes such as North Korea's nuclear weapons program and accusations of human rights abuses by both sides.[2][3][4]
There have been several brief periods of direct diplomatic engagement, most notably during the 1970s and the 1990s and early 2000s.[5] As of 2023, neither Australia nor North Korea have an official diplomatic presence in either country. Instead, diplomatic relations between the two are handled by non-resident embassies. Since 2008, the Australian embassy in Seoul has managed relations with North Korea, while the DPRK embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, has been responsible for relations with Australia.[6] Additionally, the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang provides limited assistance to Australians.[7][8]
According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, only 7% of Australians view North Korea's influence positively, with 85% expressing a negative view.[9]