Relationship dossier
North Korea
Syria
Relationship assessment
A long-running military and diplomatic partnership under Assad, with Syria’s policy under its successor government uncertain.
North Korea toward Syria
+45North Korea maintained military cooperation with the Assad government, including assistance during the Syrian civil war. The scale and precise activities of that cooperation are not clear.
Syria toward North Korea
+40The Assad government maintained close ties with Pyongyang and supported North Korea’s positions on Korean issues. The policy of Syria’s successor government toward North Korea is uncertain.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship under the Assad government combined military cooperation with diplomatic alignment, creating a durable partnership. Syria’s change of government in December 2024 leaves the future of that bilateral structure uncertain.
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
Under the Assad government, Syria and North Korea maintained a close relationship marked by military cooperation and diplomatic support. North Korea assisted Syria militarily, while the Syrian government maintained ties with Pyongyang and supported its positions on Korean issues. The fall of the Assad government in December 2024 creates uncertainty about how much of that relationship carries over to Syria’s current authorities.
Key developments
North Korea provided military assistance to the Syrian government during the Syrian civil war; the scope of the assistance is unclear.
The Assad government maintained diplomatic support for North Korea on Korean issues.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of military cooperation between the Assad government and North Korea are unclear.
- The extent of Syrian government support for North Korea after the change of government in December 2024 is unclear.