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With its embassy reopening in Pyongyang, India’s dialogue diplomacy signals a security concern and strategic intent in a region marked by nuclear risks and realignment
Image Source: Getty
Last year, after three and a half years, India decided to reopen its Embassy in Pyongyang. This decision followed a string of announcements in 2024 regarding reopening Western and non-Western countries' embassies—Sweden, Poland, Switzerland, and Nigeria, among others. Despite many people seeing this as a standard diplomatic move, there is more to the decision than meets the eye. The shifting geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia between Russia, China, and North Korea and the latter’s re-emergence as a strategic spoiler on the Indo-Pacific chessboard influence India’s diplomatic decisions. Given the security ramifications for the Indo-Pacific region and recent geopolitical developments, India's concerns about proliferation make the decision critical.
In December 2024, years after closing its Embassy in Pyongyang, India decided to reopen it, signalling its decision to resume diplomatic operations in North Korea. After its opening, the focus is on re-establishing a full-on-ground diplomatic presence in Pyongyang. The decision to reopen the Embassy is a positive development, signalling a return to normalcy. It is also set in the context of changing geopolitical alignments in Northeast Asia, implying far-reaching consequences for India's and broader regional security. This development also comes after a slew of events that have taken place concerning North Korea and the region, including the renewal of North Korea’s 1961 treaty with China, enshrining the right to use preemptive strike in the constitution, rejecting the unification idea, signing the Comprehensive Treaty with Russia, announcing South Korea as a ‘hostile state,’ and deploying its troops in Russia frontlines. On the one hand, these developments mark the end of North Korea’s diplomatic isolation phase; conversely, they signal the country's return to becoming a vital security concern for Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
In a statement in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India said that ‘there is a pressing need to address the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in our region.
With the resumption of diplomatic ties, India is safeguarding its interest concerning the ‘proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies.’ In a statement in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India said that ‘there is a pressing need to address the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in our region. These linkages harm peace and security in the region, including in India.’ However, New Delhi is also interested in ensuring that a sheltered North Korea does not become a strategic nuisance, making the regional security environment more unstable. This concern was strongly emphasised in the Quad’s Foreign Minister’s statement, which requested third countries to abide by UNSC Resolutions. It stated, ‘[w]e stress the need to prevent any proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond. In that context, we urge all UN Member States to abide by the related UNSCRs, including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related material.’
Besides safeguarding India's and regional security concerns, the move may also help in the future, given the intensifying turmoil in the region. The Indian Embassy will act as the long-awaited bridge between the West and North Korea, especially when the ties between the two are not good. This presence becomes more critical due to India’s friendly relations with Russia, one of North Korea’s two comprehensive treaty partners. To ensure smooth relations with the regime, India is already leveraging its friendly ties with Russia. On 28 December 2024, Situtj Satvi, Charge d'affaires of India, visited Aleksandr Matsegora, Russian Ambassador to DPRK, and exchanged respective views regarding the situation in the Korean Peninsula. In this context, New Delhi may play an essential role through its Dialogue Diplomacy, considering the withering ties between North and South Korea and the lack of appetite for Russia and China to facilitate negotiations. India’s role becomes more critical, particularly in the absence of erstwhile neutral actors such as Sweden, now a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member.
The Indian Embassy will act as the long-awaited bridge between the West and North Korea, especially when the ties between the two are not good.
By promoting diplomatic engagement and discussions at the table rather than on the battlefield, New Delhi has created a legacy of promoting the settlement of conflicts, wars, and disputes through dialogue diplomacy. Thanks to its strategic culture, non-aligned foreign policy, and respect for multipolarity, India enjoys the privilege of effectively engaging or manoeuvring through bloc politics and camps positively. This is true even for the Korean peninsula, which has a history behind it. One could argue that the Korean War was the first major conflict between the two blocs after World War II. It proved India’s credentials as a mediator and a neutral umpire, paving the way for New Delhi’s emphasis on dialogue diplomacy. As the regional dynamics are again changing, India is well suited to play an active role. With its multi-aligned foreign policy and continued emphasis on strategic autonomy, India is well-positioned as a trusted interlocutor by parties on both sides. China enjoyed this status post the 1990s, as it invested in stabilising the Korean peninsula as a key to ensure its prosperity. However, neither China nor Russia is interested in or would want to play a similar role anymore. India's neutral position on the Russia–Ukraine war, calling for a diplomatic solution to the protracted affair between Russia and Ukraine, has helped New Delhi establish itself as an independent player in Pyongyang’s eyes. Unlike other countries in the region—namely, Australia and Japan—India has not attracted much criticism from North Korea for its harsher position on non-proliferation or even being a part of the United States (US)-led Quad. Therefore, this non-aligned posture helps New Delhi to project itself as a mediating actor in any future conflict.
India has already earned a good reputation in facilitating dialogue and mediation. The historical underpinning for this goes back to the Korean War years (1950–53), where India adopted a neutral position, helping it to prevent the UN from adopting any escalatory policy, and reconciling the differences between the two blocs. India supported the war by providing medical assistance to 200,000 wounded and carrying out 2,300 field surgeries. At the same time, it continued espousing a path of peace and reunification of Korea, as opposed to taking part by sending any combat unit. Through its diplomatic actions at the UNSC, India has played a key role in shaping the conflict, acting as a mediator between the two parties—the US on one side and China on the other— before and during the expansion of the conflict. Additionally, it played a vital role by uniting the Arab-Asian nexus, forcing Washington to accept the Indian Resolution on the ‘prisoner of war’ question, which was a critical turning point that led to the signing of the Korean armistice agreement and the ending of the conflict. Besides, New Delhi was also the chair of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), responsible for repatriating prisoners of war and addressing the humanitarian challenge.
The continued reiteration of dialogue diplomacy has emphasised India’s support for resolving security and political issues through diplomatic tools.
India has always welcomed negotiation and mediation as part of its advocacy for dialogue diplomacy. During the first Trump administration, India welcomed the meeting in Panmunjom. It expressed its hope, stating that ‘such engagement will help in reducing tensions and pave the way for lasting peace and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula’ while simultaneously expressing its ‘concerns about the proliferation linkages of DPRK’s nuclear and missile programme.’ Similarly, when it comes to mediation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself offered India's support to resolve the war, facilitating mediation between Ukraine and Russia. This proposition was received well by the regional stakeholders, including the US, Poland, Austria, and Germany, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who proposed a plan for New Delhi to host the second peace summit. Putin also supported India’s role as a mediator. The continued reiteration of dialogue diplomacy has emphasised India’s support for resolving security and political issues through diplomatic tools. Therefore, considering India’s historical and recent interventions, New Delhi can be a neutral arbiter, facilitator, and mediator in future negotiations concerning North Korea.
Abhishek Sharma is a Research Assistant with the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Abhishek Sharma is a Research Assistant with ORF’s Strategic Studies Programme. His research focuses on the Indo-Pacific regional security and geopolitical developments with a special ...
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