Anchor: South Korea has established official diplomatic relations with Cuba, one of North Korea's close allies. Negotiations regarding the move were reportedly conducted by South Korea and Cuba in secrecy. The government’s decades-long effort to forge diplomatic ties with the communist country has finally borne fruit.
Lee Bo-kyung has more. 

Report: In a surprise announcement on Wednesday night, South Korea's mission to the United Nations(UN) said that formal diplomatic relations were established between South Korea and Cuba through an exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries' representatives to the UN in New York.

The two nations established ambassador-level diplomatic ties, skipping the step of setting up consular-level relations. They also agreed to take follow-up measures, including the opening of diplomatic missions in both nations.

Cuba is the 193rd country with which South Korea has built diplomatic relations, and Syria is the only UN member state that has not established diplomatic ties with South Korea. 

The surprise announcement of the established diplomatic ties was made Wednesday night. 

The two nations reportedly held negotiations in absolute secrecy, apparently in fear of possible protest and obstruction from North Korea, a traditional ally of Cuba. 

The Seoul government has pursued diplomatic ties with Cuba since the 2000s. In 2016, then-foreign minister Yun Byung-se became the first foreign minister to make an official visit to Cuba and expressed Seoul’s wish to set up diplomatic ties, but no progress was made. 

However, discussions between the two nations reportedly advanced rapidly after they began in earnest last year. The ministry said that cultural exchanges between the two countries encouraged friendly relations and contributed to the establishment of diplomatic ties. 

The ministry said that the establishment of diplomatic relations will pave the way for economic cooperation between the two countries and enable the provision of consular assistance for South Koreans visiting Cuba.
Lee Bo-kyung, KBS World Radio News