South Korea says opening diplomatic relations with Cuba would shock North Korea

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and JIWON SONG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s presidential office claims that the country’s move to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba would deal a “political and psychological blow” to its war-divided rival North Korea, whose diplomatic footing is largely dependent on a small number of Cold War allies. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday night it has agreed to open ambassador-level relations with Cuba following a meeting in New York. North Korea in recent months has been boosting the visibility of its ties with Russia and China as it tries to break out of diplomatic isolation and join a united front against Washington amid tensions over its nuclear weapons program. North Korean has yet to comment on the South Korea-Cuba agreement.