Relationship dossier
North Korea
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Politically cordial ties marked by mutual support and diplomatic exchanges
North Korea toward Venezuela
+30North Korea has voiced support for Venezuela's government and opposition to U.S. pressure on it. North Korean officials have also engaged with Venezuelan representatives, including during Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza's 2019 visit.
Venezuela toward North Korea
+30Venezuela has maintained political engagement with North Korea and expressed opposition to external pressure and sanctions affecting it. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza's 2019 visit to North Korea was a concrete high-level diplomatic exchange.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship is characterized by political alignment, expressions of mutual support, and high-level diplomatic engagement, including a 2019 ministerial visit. The extent of sustained practical cooperation is less clear.
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 and Venezuela have maintained cordial political relations, with public expressions of mutual support and high-level diplomatic engagement. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza visited North Korea in 2019, and the two governments have emphasized cooperation and opposition to outside pressure. The relationship appears politically aligned, though the scope and durability of practical cooperation are unclear.
Key developments
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza visited North Korea for high-level discussions.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of continuing government-to-government cooperation beyond political exchanges is uncertain.