nationboards.

Relationship dossier

North Korea Yemen

Relationship assessment

A limited relationship marked by North Korean missile sales to Yemen

North Korea toward Yemen

+15

North Korea supplied Scud missiles intended for Yemen in a 2002 shipment, reflecting concrete military cooperation.

Yemen toward North Korea

+15

Yemen purchased Scud missiles from North Korea; the Yemeni government described the 2002 shipment as a legal purchase.

Overall relationship

+10

The relationship includes concrete military transactions, particularly North Korean Scud missile sales to Yemen. The available examples point to transactional cooperation rather than a clearly broad or durable partnership; the scope of other bilateral ties is unclear.

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

Knowledge coverageLimited

Overview

North Korea and Yemen have had a transactional military relationship, most notably involving North Korean Scud missiles sold to Yemen. In 2002, a ship carrying Scud missiles from North Korea to Yemen was intercepted; Yemen said the weapons were a legal purchase. These arms dealings indicate concrete cooperation, though the scope and durability of broader government-to-government cooperation are unclear.

Key developments

Major uncertainties

Choose another pair