New Delhi: With its Act East policy, India has been looking and acting eastward while the rest of the world is focused on central and west Asia and the West's actions in relation to the wars in the Middle East and Europe. New Delhi has been quietly and cautiously advancing its policies in the Korean peninsula in addition to strengthening its relations with countries in Southeast Asia. Because of the high level of opacity in which North Korea operates, New Delhi too keeps its diplomatic ties with Pyongyang under wraps, unseen and unspoken to the outside world.
India discreetly closed its embassy in Pyongyang in July 2021, and Ambassador Atul Malhari Gotsurve and all of the personnel traveled via Moscow back to New Delhi. When asked why the entire staff was ordered back, the Ministry of External Affairs said that COVID-19 was the reason, even though it never formally declared the embassy "closed." After years without any news regarding the diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, Mr. Gotsurve was assigned to Mongolia fourteen months ago.
After another year passed, India abruptly made the decision to start up regular activities at its embassy in Pyongyang earlier this month. A team of diplomatic and technical personnel was sent to North Korea in a matter of days. The Tribune reported that the crew has already arrived in Pyongyang and is working to fully operationalize the mission.
The embassy must first go through a comprehensive inspection after being closed for more than three and a half years. The crew would have to first debug the entire embassy building because North Korea is notorious for its dubious intelligence-gathering methods. A new Ambassador and the rest of the team may be months away from joining the original staff dispatched because of this and the anticipated delays caused by North Korea's bureaucracy.
North Korea has much greater strategic significance now than it did four years ago, not only for Asia and India but also for the West. In terms of military capabilities, North Korea has been gradually expanding its nuclear arsenal while simultaneously developing technologies such as tactical weapons, short-, medium-, and long-range missiles, as well as hypersonic missiles. Being in Pyongyang and establishing connections is crucial for India in order to prevent the transfer of such technology to Pakistan or its rebel forces.
North Korea's developing alliance with China, Russia, and Iran in recent years is seen by many as a challenge to the Quad, a security and trade alliance made up of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. Addressing this issue diplomatically is also a top priority for India.
New Delhi maintains positive diplomatic relations with Tehran in addition to its already solid ties with Moscow. The two most populous countries in Asia, China and India, are likewise attempting to resolve their disputes in order to bring about enduring peace. That leaves Pyongyang, a relationship that New Delhi has handled very carefully up to this point. Along with expanding trade relations with Russia, North Korea has also sent personnel on the ground to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine.
New Delhi maintains positive diplomatic relations with Tehran in addition to its already solid ties with Moscow. The two most populous countries in Asia, China and India, are likewise attempting to resolve their disputes in order to bring about enduring peace. That leaves Pyongyang, a relationship that New Delhi has handled very carefully up to this point. Additionally, North Korea has expanded commercial relations with Russia and even sent boots on the ground to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
In line with its global view and goals, New Delhi seeks to expand diplomatic connections while keeping in mind Pyongyang's increasing prominence and activities throughout Asia. As a result, North Korea gains strategic significance for India, and restoring the embassy in Pyongyang is considered the first step in restarting contact.
