Relationship dossier
Namibia
North Korea
Relationship assessment
Longstanding political ties and construction cooperation have been tempered by Namibia's implementation of sanctions.
Namibia toward North Korea
+20Namibia maintained political ties with North Korea after independence and later ended contracts with North Korean companies in response to United Nations sanctions.
North Korea toward Namibia
+35North Korea supported SWAPO during Namibia's liberation struggle. North Korean firms later carried out major construction projects for the Namibian government, including the Heroes' Acre memorial complex.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines North Korea's historical support for Namibia's liberation movement and later construction cooperation with Namibia's subsequent action to end contracts involving North Korean companies under United Nations sanctions. This gives the bilateral relationship a record of meaningful cooperation alongside a significant constraint.
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
Namibia and North Korea have longstanding political ties rooted in North Korean support for SWAPO during the liberation struggle. North Korean firms later undertook prominent construction projects in Namibia. Namibia subsequently ended contracts with North Korean companies in response to United Nations sanctions, tempering the earlier cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Namibia's termination of contracts with North Korean companies in response to United Nations sanctions.
Key developments
North Korea supported SWAPO during Namibia's liberation struggle.
North Korean firms undertook major construction projects in Namibia, including the Heroes' Acre memorial complex.
Namibia ended contracts with North Korean companies in response to United Nations sanctions.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Namibia's termination of contracts with North Korean companies are unclear.
- The extent of recent bilateral government cooperation is uncertain.