Relationship dossier
North Korea
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Diplomatic alignment over Kosovo contrasts with Serbia’s implementation of UN sanctions on North Korea.
North Korea toward Serbia
+15North Korea does not recognize Kosovo and has supported Serbia’s position on territorial integrity, aligning with a central Serbian diplomatic interest.
Serbia toward North Korea
-5Serbia implements UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea, restricting aspects of economic and other engagement under the sanctions regime.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship combines North Korean diplomatic support for Serbia’s position on Kosovo with Serbia’s implementation of UN sanctions targeting North Korea. These features indicate limited alignment alongside a concrete constraint on 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
North Korea has supported Serbia’s position on Kosovo and does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. Serbia, as a UN member, implements Security Council sanctions on North Korea. These diplomatic alignment and sanctions-related policies shape a relationship with limited known practical cooperation.
Key developments
North Korea did not recognize Kosovo’s declaration of independence and supported Serbia’s position on territorial integrity.
Serbia implemented UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct bilateral cooperation and any active agreements is unclear.
- The scope and implementation of Serbia’s sanctions measures toward North Korea are unclear.