Relationship dossier
North Korea
South Africa
Relationship assessment
South Africa has opposed North Korea’s nuclear tests; direct bilateral cooperation is unclear.
North Korea toward South Africa
Not assessedSouth Africa toward North Korea
-15The South African government has condemned North Korean nuclear tests and supported United Nations sanctions targeting North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
Overall relationship
Not assessedHow 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
South Africa has condemned North Korean nuclear tests and supported United Nations sanctions addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Information about direct North Korean government cooperation with South Africa is insufficient to assess the relationship.
Areas of tension
- North Korea’s nuclear tests and missile programs, addressed by South African condemnation and support for United Nations sanctions.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of direct bilateral cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of South Africa’s bilateral engagement with North Korea beyond its position on sanctions is unclear.