Relationship dossier
North Korea
Panama
Relationship assessment
A major 2013 ship seizure created friction; the scope of broader bilateral engagement is unclear.
North Korea toward Panama
-15North Korea criticized Panama’s detention of the Chong Chon Gang and its crew in 2013, disputing Panama’s handling of the case.
Panama toward North Korea
-20Panama detained the North Korean-flagged Chong Chon Gang in 2013 after discovering undeclared weapons aboard, and pursued enforcement action against the vessel and its crew.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship is characterized by limited information about broader bilateral engagement and a notable episode of confrontation: Panama’s 2013 detention of a North Korean-flagged vessel carrying undeclared weapons, followed by North Korean criticism. The available facts support a modestly negative assessment, but do not establish a sustained pattern of hostility.
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
Relations are marked by the 2013 detention in Panama of the North Korean-flagged ship Chong Chon Gang, which was carrying undeclared weapons from Cuba. Panama detained the vessel and its crew and pursued enforcement action; North Korea criticized Panama’s handling of the case. This episode indicates bilateral friction, though the scope of other government cooperation or disagreements is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Panama’s 2013 detention of the Chong Chon Gang and its crew, and North Korea’s criticism of the handling of the case.
Key developments
Panama detained the North Korean-flagged ship Chong Chon Gang after discovering undeclared weapons aboard; North Korea criticized Panama’s handling of the case.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of cooperation between the governments outside the 2013 ship case is unclear.
- The longer-term effect of the ship case on bilateral government relations is unclear.