Nepal’s North Korean embassy shut down

Kathmandu, November 8 (HS): The North Korean government has decided to close its embassy in Nepal. North Korean Ambassador Jo Yong Man informed Prime Minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal of the decision. The decision is claimed to have been made due to the economic downturn.

Rupak Sapkoya, Dahal’s foreign affairs advisor, told the media on Wednesday of the decision and the repatriation of Embassy staff. Dahal voiced his disappointment with the decision and hoped that it would be reconsidered shortly. The North Korean embassy in New Delhi will handle Nepal-related matters. Nepal and North Korea inked a bilateral trade agreement in 1970, and full diplomatic relations were established on May 15, 1974.

After the United States put sanctions on North Korea, the role of the North Korean embassy in Nepal diminished.