India Appoints Aliawati Longkumer as Ambassador to North Korea, Reopens Embassy in Pyongyang

New Delhi, June 22. 2025

Some diplomatic relationships are a delicate balancing act and India’s engagement with North Korea (DPRK) is one such example. Despite being often in the headlines for its nuclear provocations and extreme isolation, North Korea shares a long, nuanced diplomatic history with India.

India Reopens Embassy In North Korea After 4 Years

In a recent move, the Ministry of External Affairs appointed 2008-batch IFS officer Aliawati Longkumer as India’s next Ambassador to North Korea.

Currently serving as the Charge d’affaires ad interim in Paraguay, Longkumer will soon take up his new role in Pyongyang. (A Charge d’affaires ad interim is a diplomat who temporarily heads the mission in the absence of an ambassador.)

India had closed its embassy in Pyongyang during the pandemic in July 2021. The last Indian Ambassador was Atul Malhari Gotsurve. After a four-year gap, the embassy was reopened in December 2024, following detailed security assessments.

India-North Korea ties go back to the 1960s. India played a crucial role post-Korean War in the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, chaired by Indian officer Major General K.S. Thimayya. Over the decades, India has balanced principled criticism of DPRK’s nuclear activities with humanitarian aid, training programs, and low-key engagement.

India suspended trade with North Korea in 2017 to comply with UN sanctions, but diplomatic ties remained intact. The 2018 visit of former Minister of State V.K. Singh is an example of New Delhi’s quiet diplomacy — where Pyongyang reportedly assured that India would not be threatened.

Why does this matter? Maintaining ties with North Korea also helps India navigate the strategic dynamics of China’s influence in the region. By engaging even cautiously, India maintains a voice in one of the world’s most complex geopolitical theatres.

Source: Indian Masterminds