N. Korea says embassy closures aimed at boosting diplomatic efficiency

A Chinese paramilitary guard stands at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing, China, in this Sept. 15, 2017 file photo. AFP-Yonhap

North Korea said Friday its recent move to shut down several diplomatic missions is meant to efficiently rearrange its diplomatic capacity.

The reclusive regime recently gave notice of the shutdown of its embassies in Angola, Spain and Uganda to the respective countries, while Beijing has confirmed Pyongyang's decision to pull out from Hong Kong.

"We are conducting operations to withdraw and establish diplomatic missions in accordance with the changed global environment and national diplomatic policy," a spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry said in comments posted on the ministry's website.

The spokesperson, who did not specify which countries the plan would affect, said such a move is part of the "normal" activities of a "sovereign country" to rearrange and manage its diplomatic capacity for the national interest.

South Korea's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, has said the move appears to be a sign of Pyongyang's faltering economy, worsened by global sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.

"They show how the North struggles to sustain the minimum diplomatic relationship with its traditional allies due to its difficult economic situation," an official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Rather than receiving funds from Pyongyang, the North's diplomatic missions are known to secure funds for operations through illicit trade and commercial activities and send remittances to their home country, according to former North Korean diplomats who have defected to South Korea. (Yonhap)