Relationship dossier
North Korea
Pakistan
Relationship assessment
Reported proliferation-related cooperation and Pakistan’s implementation of sanctions mark a limited, mixed relationship.
North Korea toward Pakistan
+5North Korea was reported to have supplied missile technology to Pakistan in exchanges associated with Pakistan’s nuclear procurement network. The extent of direct North Korean government authorization and the precise terms of the reported cooperation remain disputed.
Pakistan toward North Korea
-10Pakistan has implemented international sanctions targeting North Korea. The extent and practical scope of that implementation are unclear.
Overall relationship
0The relationship is characterized by reported proliferation-related cooperation alongside Pakistan’s implementation of sanctions against North Korea. The disputed extent of official involvement and limited evidence of broader durable bilateral cooperation support a mixed overall characterization.
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
Pakistan–North Korea relations have included reported cooperation involving North Korean missile technology and Pakistan’s nuclear procurement network, though the extent of official government involvement remains disputed. Pakistan has also implemented international sanctions targeting North Korea. These episodes indicate limited, mixed bilateral conduct rather than a broad sustained partnership.
Areas of tension
- Pakistan’s implementation of international sanctions targeting North Korea.
- Disputed allegations concerning North Korean missile technology and Pakistan’s nuclear procurement network.
Key developments
Reports linked North Korean missile technology transfers to Pakistan with Pakistan’s nuclear procurement network; the extent of official government involvement remains disputed.
Pakistan implemented international sanctions targeting North Korea.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of official North Korean and Pakistani government involvement in reported missile and nuclear technology exchanges is disputed.
- The scope and implementation of Pakistan’s sanctions on North Korea are unclear.