Namibia–North Korea Relations
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Namibia–North Korea relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Namibia and the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...
(DPRK). Neither country maintains an embassy in their respective capitals, although DPRK formerly had one in Windhoek, which closed down in 1994.


History

During the Namibian War of Independence, the DPRK provided significant support for the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the armed wing of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). Like many other pro-Soviet countries during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, the DPRK provided material aid to PLAN, and from 1965 and onwards many SWAPO members went to Pyongyang to receive military training. Relations have remained close after Namibia's independence in 1990. The country's first President, Sam Nujoma, was especially close to the DPRK. In 1992, he received the Order of the National Flag, a high DPRK decoration.
Mansudae Overseas Projects Mansudae Overseas Projects is a construction company based in Jongphyong-dong, Phyongchon District, Pyongyang, North Korea. It is the international commercial division of the Mansudae Art Studio. As of August 2011, it had earned an estimated ...
, a DPRK construction company, has been behind several expensive projects in Namibia – among them Heroes' Acre, a war memorial opened in 2002 in Windhoek. The physical features of the statue of the Unknown Soldier reportedly closely resemble those of Nujoma. The company is also behind renovations to Nujoma's private home, as well as several other major projects – among them the Windhoek Independence Memorial, the
State House of Namibia The State House of the Republic of Namibia is the official residence and workplace of the President of Namibia. Located in the Auasblick suburb of Windhoek, the State House was constructed by Mansudae Overseas Projects of North Korea from Sept ...
, and an independence museum also featuring a statue of President Nujoma. Nujoma's successor, President Hifikepunye Pohamba, likewise remained close to the DPRK. In 2008 Kim Yong-nam, Chairman of the Presidium of the
Supreme People's Assembly The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; ) is the unicameral legislature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea. It consists of one deputy from each of the DPRK's 687 constituencies, elected to five-year ...
, visited Namibia and met with the President. Several agreements between the two countries were signed, to strengthen among other things bilateral co-operation on trade, commerce, transport, energy and defence. Following the death of
Kim Jong-il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...
in 2011, the Namibian government stated that his death would not affect Namibian-North Korean relations. In 2012, it was reported that Namibia had contracted the DPRK to build thirteen "mini-state houses" in each of the country's regions for President Pohamba, a hugely expensive move which faced immediate criticism. In 2016, it was confirmed that military co-operation was continuing.


See also

*
Foreign relations of Namibia Namibia follows a largely independent foreign policy, with strong affiliations with states that aided the independence struggle, including Libya and Cuba. In Africa, Namibia has been involved in conflicts in neighbouring Angola as well as Demo ...
* Foreign relations of North Korea


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Namibia-North Korea relations
Korea, North North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
Namibia