condemnation. The incredibly isolated Hermit Kingdom has spent the last half century growing

increasingly antagonistic, and today is one of the most disliked countries on earth. But

despite their negative global standing, North Korea is not necessarily all alone. So, we

wanted to know, who are North Korea’s allies?

Well, given the political history of North Korea’s formation, it is not all that surprising

that one of their few allies is Russia. Following World War Two, the Korean peninsula was split

down the middle. The United States occupied the South, and the Soviet Union occupied the

North. The two sides failed to reach any unified plan, and by 1948, the Soviets had helped

North Korea establish their Communist-leaning dictatorship.

During the Cold War, Russia contributed to North Korea’s development, and even sent

thousands of their own troops in the Korean War. They also provided significant amounts

of humanitarian and military aid, as well as nuclear reactors. It is generally believed

that although the Soviet Union did not intend for North Korea to acquire nuclear weapons,

they did so due to early nuclear investment by the Russian government. When the Soviet

Union collapsed in the early 1990s, so did their support for North Korea.

But since Vladimir Putin’s controversial rise to power in the early 2000s, friendly

relations between the two countries have reemerged. In 2014, Russia forgave roughly $10 billion

dollars of North Korea’s debt in the hopes of establishing an oil pipeline in the region.

But of North Korea’s two allies, Russia is considerably less involved than the People’s

Republic of China. North Korea and China share a roughly 900-mile border, and since the division

of Korea, China has provided considerable support to the fledgling nation. Besides contributing

troops to the Korean War, the two also signed a Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty

in 1961. This treaty, which has been renewed several times, primarily protects North Korea

against foreign aggression.

Today, although relations with China have hit an all time low, China’s investments

in North Korean stability have hinged on preventing a mass migration of refugees. China is by

far North Korea’s largest trading partner and source of aid. As of 2011, roughly 83%

of North Korea’s imports and exports were with China. However, according to a 2010 Wikileaks

document, Chinese officials have referred to the Hermit Kingdom as a “spoiled child”.

More recently, the PRC has publicly rebuked Kim Jong-Un’s illegal nuclear program, straining

tensions even further.

But while North Korea’s nuclear aims have isolated the country, they have also created

unexpected alliances. As a major weapons dealer, North Korea has long been suspected of selling

weapons to Iran during the Iran-Iraq War. In 2012, the two countries signed a scientific

cooperation pact, which many believe is intended to further both of their nuclear weapons programs.

A decade earlier, a similar pact between North Korea and Syria reportedly led to plutonium

reactors being constructed in Eastern Syria.

North Korea’s predominantly military and weapons based alliances have made them a dangerous

world power. But in 2015, the country sent out diplomats to Cuba and Equatorial Guinea,

both former Soviet supporting nations. Some believe that this move shows North Korea seeking

renewed relationships in light of their shaky ties to allies like Russia and China. In the

end, North Korea diplomacy may not be a good sign for the rest of the world.

North Korea’s 2016 nuclear test spurred not only uneasiness but also confusion. How

does a hermit kingdom get ahold of nuclear weapons? We investigate this question in

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