North Korea, South Sudan establish full diplomatic ties

North Korea has established full diplomatic ties with South Sudan, Korean media outlets reported.

North Korea’s state news agency announced Friday their country’s ambassador to Ethiopia and South Sudan’s envoy signed the diplomatic accord this week, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported. 

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South Korea established diplomatic ties with South Sudan in July, when the African country entered independent statehood. Southern Sudan has struggled to maintain social order, as the UN has pressured South Korea to send peacekeeping forces to the region.

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Inter-ethnic warfare in the South Sudan region has been widespread and has displaced more than 10,000 people – a source of human rights abuse allegations. The country is reported as one of the poorest countries in the world with possibly the worst heath situation. 

Despite its secession from Sudan, South Sudan is in dispute over the region’s distribution of oil, which funds the majority of the South’s budget. The South said Sudan pulled out of talks that were planned for Saturday in Addis Adaba to discuss the loss in oil revenue the dispute has caused, Bloomberg reported.