North Korea on course to set up embassy in Venezuela

North Korea is set to establish a diplomatic mission in Venezuela after recently winning approval from the Latin American country, a U.S. radio report said Wednesday.

The Venezuela government has recently approved the North's embassy plan, the Washington-based Voice of America reported, citing the official publication of the Venezuela foreign ministry.

If successfully established, it will be North Korea's first embassy in the South American country since the two forged bilateral diplomatic relations in 1974.

So far, the North Korean ambassador based in Cuba has represented his country in Venezuela,

The recent approval came upon the North's repeated approaches to Venezuela.

Former North Korean Ambassador to Cuba Jong Yong-jin relayed his country's hope to set up the embassy during his visit to Venezuela in March last year. The North again filed a request with the Latin American country over the embassy plan last April, VOA said.

In 1991, the North set up a trade office in Venezuela's capital of Caracas before shutting it down in 1999. The office was reopened the next year.

The North has been on friendly terms with Venezuela, a key oil producing country that like the North has an anti-U.S. foreign policy. (Yonhap)