How the North Korean-Vietnamese friendship turned sour



Evergreen How the North Korean-Vietnamese friendship turned sour Pyongyang's self-centered behavior towards Hanoi irreparably damaged a once-close alliance Balazs Szalontai October 31, 2017 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Ho Chi Mihn City / Saigon by rob.sandbach on 2011-08-12 04:06:24 In some of my earlier NK News articles, I examined how North Korea’s relations with China, Iran, and Mongolia – three states that Pyongyang traditionally regarded as their friends and allies – have been adversely affected by factors like the countries’ divergent strategic priorities, their search for alternative partners, and Pyongyang’s domineering attitude. Conflicts of this kind repeatedly occurred between North Korea and Vietnam, too, despite the fact that in several respects, the DPRK had more in common with the Vietnamese Communist regime than with any other country. Pure, unadulterated national egoism was the root cause of the problem, and the ham-fisted and tactless style of North Korean diplomacy often added insult to injury. In some of my earlier NK News articles, I examined how North Korea’s relations with China, Iran, and Mongolia – three states that Pyongyang traditionally regarded as their friends and allies – have been adversely affected by factors like the countries’ divergent strategic priorities, their search for alternative partners, and Pyongyang’s domineering attitude. Conflicts of this kind repeatedly occurred between North Korea and Vietnam, too, despite the fact that in several respects, the DPRK had more in common with the Vietnamese Communist regime than with any other country. Pure, unadulterated national egoism was the root cause of the problem, and the ham-fisted and tactless style of North Korean diplomacy often added insult to injury. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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How the North Korean-Vietnamese friendship turned sour

Pyongyang's self-centered behavior towards Hanoi irreparably damaged a once-close alliance

Balazs Szalontai October 31, 2017

How the North Korean-Vietnamese friendship turned sour

Ho Chi Mihn City / Saigon by rob.sandbach on 2011-08-12 04:06:24

In some of my earlier NK News articles, I examined how North Korea’s relations with China, Iran, and Mongolia – three states that Pyongyang traditionally regarded as their friends and allies – have been adversely affected by factors like the countries’ divergent strategic priorities, their search for alternative partners, and Pyongyang’s domineering attitude.

Conflicts of this kind repeatedly occurred between North Korea and Vietnam, too, despite the fact that in several respects, the DPRK had more in common with the Vietnamese Communist regime than with any other country. Pure, unadulterated national egoism was the root cause of the problem, and the ham-fisted and tactless style of North Korean diplomacy often added insult to injury.