North Korea – Palestine relations
Encyclopedia
North Korea–Palestine relations refers to the bilateral relations between both North Korea
and Palestine.
began during the 1970s. Both Kim Il-sung
and Yasser Arafat
had a very close relationship and North Korean aid to the Palestinians was increased. North Korea has regarded Israel as an "imperialist satellite" and recognizes the sovereignty of Palestine over all territory held by Israel. North Korean support for the PLO began in the 1970s and it included the supply of small amounts of arms and military aid. North Korean arms in the Middle East included aid to several leftist factions and revolutionary movements such as the PLO and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
. North Korean arms and aid to Palestinian factions continued until the opening up of China
under Deng Xiaoping
and political reforms in the Soviet Union
under Mikhail Gorbachev
during the 1980s. After the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korean involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
declined and North Korea shifted from exporting of revolution to pragmatism. Since then North Korea has continued to support the Palestinian cause and has strongly condemned every Israeli aggression in the region. During the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict North Korea harshly condemned Israeli actions. A Foreign Ministry spokesman denounced the killing of unarmed civilians and called it a crime against humanity as well as a threat to the Middle East Peace Process. On the floor of the UN General Assembly the North Korean permanent representative Sin Son-ho said that North Korea "fully supported Palestinians’ struggle to expel Israeli aggressors from their Territory and restore their right to self-determination." After the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid
the North Korean Foreign Ministry called the attack a "crime against humanity" which was perpetrated under the guidance of the United States. The North Korean statement also expressed full support for the self-determination of the Palestinian Arabs.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Palestine.
Political relations
North Korea's relations with the Palestine Liberation OrganizationPalestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
began during the 1970s. Both Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
and Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
had a very close relationship and North Korean aid to the Palestinians was increased. North Korea has regarded Israel as an "imperialist satellite" and recognizes the sovereignty of Palestine over all territory held by Israel. North Korean support for the PLO began in the 1970s and it included the supply of small amounts of arms and military aid. North Korean arms in the Middle East included aid to several leftist factions and revolutionary movements such as the PLO and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist, secular political and military organization. It is also frequently referred to as the Democratic Front, or al-Jabha al-Dimuqratiyah...
. North Korean arms and aid to Palestinian factions continued until the opening up of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
under Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
and political reforms in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
under Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
during the 1980s. After the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korean involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
declined and North Korea shifted from exporting of revolution to pragmatism. Since then North Korea has continued to support the Palestinian cause and has strongly condemned every Israeli aggression in the region. During the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict North Korea harshly condemned Israeli actions. A Foreign Ministry spokesman denounced the killing of unarmed civilians and called it a crime against humanity as well as a threat to the Middle East Peace Process. On the floor of the UN General Assembly the North Korean permanent representative Sin Son-ho said that North Korea "fully supported Palestinians’ struggle to expel Israeli aggressors from their Territory and restore their right to self-determination." After the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid
Gaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
the North Korean Foreign Ministry called the attack a "crime against humanity" which was perpetrated under the guidance of the United States. The North Korean statement also expressed full support for the self-determination of the Palestinian Arabs.