Lee Ho-yul is officially appointed amid a rapprochement that, judging by recent actions, has not gone down well in the North

14ymedio/EFE, Seoul, 31 January 2025 — On Friday, South Korean authorities officially appointed diplomat Lee Ho-yul as the first ambassador to Cuba. Relations between the two counties were re-established a year ago.
Lee, who until now had been a minister in the South Korean embassy in Mexico, is, according to local media, an expert in commercial matters. In addition to being a career diplomat, he also served as general director of the Office of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
He will be the first ambassador that South Korea has on the Island after the historic re-establishment of diplomatic ties that took place between the two countries in February 2024.
He will be the first ambassador that South Korea has on the Island after the historic re-establishment of diplomatic ties that took place between the two countries in February 2024
It is believed that the relationship established between Seoul and Havana may be angering Pyongyang, given its traditional friendship with Cuba, supported by similar ideological positions.
In fact, the North Korean media have reflected that apparent discontent since the re-establishment of relations a year ago, barely publishing content that refers to Cuba.
For example, the state news agency KCNA reported very briefly on the New Year’s message sent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and also omitted the usual references to the “brother people” of Cuba.
For his part, the Cuban ambassador to South Korea, Claudio Monzón, has already presented his credentials to the interim president of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, on January 7, and Cuba is expected to open its first embassy in South Korea before July 1.
The rapprochement between the two countries began in February 2024, when both parties announced that they were re-establishing relations that were broken in 1959, when, with the triumph of the Revolution, a historic, political and ideological alliance was forged between Cuba and North Korea.
In May 2016, in the midst of the thaw with the United States, the chambers of commerce of both countries signed a memorandum of understanding to share business information, carry out exchanges between their delegations and organize joint forums.
South Korea expressed interest in Cuba in energy matters, in addition to considering it “a potential market for medical and tourism businesses on the American continent
South Korea expressed an interest in Cuba in energy matters, in addition to considering it “a potential market for medical and tourism businesses on the American continent.” Trade between the two countries began to flow, and in 2022 South Korea exported goods to Cuba worth 14 million dollars and imported goods worth 7 million.
Although many Cubans were surprised by the announcement of the opening of embassies a year ago, Seoul argued that, among other things, every year about 14,000 South Korean citizens traveled to the Island – before the pandemic – and 1,100 descendants of Koreans who migrated during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) resided in Cuba. All of them need “systematic consular assistance,” they said.
The romance between both nations has even reached the streets. At the beginning of this year, Havana opened the K-Mart, the first market with South Korean products in Cuba. Located on 27 th and J, in El Vedado, the private business sells everything from ramen, soju, tea and instant coffee to juices and energy drinks.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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