Relationship dossier
Kuwait
North Korea
Relationship assessment
Limited diplomatic and labor engagement, constrained by Kuwait’s response to North Korean weapons tests and sanctions.
Kuwait toward North Korea
-30In 2017, Kuwait expelled North Korea’s ambassador and restricted the North Korean diplomatic presence, in the context of North Korean weapons tests and international sanctions.
North Korea toward Kuwait
+5North Korea sent workers to Kuwait through state labor-export arrangements, providing a concrete but limited channel of economic engagement.
Overall relationship
-15The relationship included diplomatic and labor contacts, but these did not amount to a broad partnership. Kuwait’s 2017 restrictions, amid North Korean weapons tests and sanctions, substantially constrained bilateral engagement.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kuwait maintained diplomatic and economic engagement with North Korea, including hosting North Korean workers. In 2017, Kuwait expelled North Korea’s ambassador and restricted its diplomatic presence amid North Korean weapons tests and international sanctions. North Korea’s labor exports provided a limited channel of bilateral engagement, but the scope of other cooperation is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Kuwait’s response to North Korean nuclear and missile tests
- Implementation of international restrictions on North Korean labor and diplomatic activity
Key developments
Kuwait expelled North Korea’s ambassador and restricted the North Korean diplomatic presence amid weapons tests and international sanctions.
North Korean state labor-export arrangements brought workers to Kuwait.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and duration of North Korean labor arrangements in Kuwait are unclear.
- The extent of bilateral cooperation outside diplomatic and labor contacts is unclear.