Relationship dossier
North Korea
Spain
Relationship assessment
Spain expelled North Korea’s ambassador in 2017 over its nuclear and missile programs; direct North Korean cooperation with Spain is unclear.
North Korea toward Spain
Not assessedSpain toward North Korea
-25Spain declared North Korea’s ambassador persona non grata in 2017, citing 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
Spain declared North Korea’s ambassador persona non grata in 2017, citing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Information about direct North Korean government cooperation with Spain is insufficient to assess that relationship.
Areas of tension
- North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and Spain’s resulting diplomatic response.
Key developments
Spain declared North Korea’s ambassador persona non grata, citing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct North Korean government engagement with Spain is unclear.
- The extent and implementation of Spain’s bilateral policy toward North Korea beyond diplomatic measures are unclear.