North Korea tightening up ties with communist nations

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, stands with his wife Ri Sol-ju during a ceremony to mark the birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, on April 15, in this footage from an April 17 TV report by Pyongyang's Korean Central Television. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

North Korea is making a series of outreaches to communist nations and other Kim regime-friendly countries to strengthen ties with them, showing a stark contrast to its strategy of severing connections with Seoul and Washington.

Pyongyang's state-run Rodong Shinmun reported in a front-page article on Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message to congratulate Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on his birthday.

According to the paper, the message reads that Kim is sending his "firm support and solidarity to the fraternal Cuban people who have achieved great successes in the struggle for victorious advance of the socialist cause, despite the vicious sanctions and blockade by the hostile forces."

The message came after Kim sent two separate messages earlier this week to celebrate the Cuban leader for his recent election as the head of Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee.

The move is interpreted as Pyongyang's effort to strengthen its ties with the Caribbean island nation, which North Korea has long considered an ally as both countries face sanctions and pressure from the U.S.

Along with Cuba, the North has been strengthening its outreach to communist nations in recent months.

In March, Kim sent a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling for "unity and cooperation," while Xi also described Beijing's relations with Pyongyang as "a valuable asset."

Also in the same month, Kim sent several verbal messages to the leaders of Vietnam, Laos and Cuba regarding the eighth Congress of the North's ruling Workers' Party in January, urging they should strengthen and expand their ties.

The moves came as a contrast to the regime's efforts to isolate itself further from South Korea, the U.S. and other democratic nations of the international community. After launching projectiles assumed to be short-range ballistic missiles on March 25, the North announced that it would not participate in the Tokyo Summer Olympics, while keeping silent on its relations with the U.S. and South Korea.

"The recent moves are seen as Kim's strategy to secure a diplomatic way out before the U.S. Joe Biden administration announces its North Korea policy review," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. "During the eighth congress, the North stressed that it must secure independence in diplomatic policy while enhancing ties with friendly nations. With the U.S.-North Korea policy review being anticipated to play a crucial role in determining Pyongyang's next move, it seems the regime is focusing on addressing internal affairs and managing existing ties."