SEOUL, South Korea — Germany has not yet decided whether to reopen its embassy in North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, The embassy was closed in early 2020 following North Korea's stringent COVID-19 border closures.
Ambassador Schmidt explained that the decision to reopen the German embassy in Pyongyang hinges on a political decision from Berlin, which will consider various factors including the size and scope of the diplomatic mission. "It is up to Berlin's political decision about when to reopen the embassy with what size or whether to reopen it at all. We've been always trying to communicate with North Korea even at the time of the German embassy closure," Schmidt stated during a press meeting in Seoul. He noted that a German diplomat overseeing East Asia affairs visited North Korea in February to assess the technical conditions of the embassy building, as well as the entry process for diplomats and local living conditions, including medical services.
This visit marks the first known instance of a Western diplomat entering North Korea since the country closed its borders at the onset of the global pandemic. Since partially reopening its borders in August of the previous year, North Korea has permitted only a select few countries, including China, Russia, and Mongolia, to resume diplomatic activities in Pyongyang.