North Korean outreach to Southeast Asia part of regional balancing act
Foreign minister's tour of Southeast Asia seen as attempt to reduce reliance on Beijing, which shows signs of falling out with Pyongyang
Just as North Korea was making headlines by firing five missiles ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the South, the hermit state's foreign minister was quietly reaching out to friends in Southeast Asia.
Over the past week, Ri Su-yong made stops in Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and Singapore and made a debut appearance at an Asean forum.
The whirlwind tour, analysts said, was the latest effort by North Korea to relax the country's international isolation and reduce reliance on its biggest ally, China.
"North Korea faces the same dilemma every Asian country does, which is: How do you manage China's rise?" said John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul.
China has long been an important ally and source of humanitarian aid and investment. But bilateral ties appear to have become strained, especially after Pyongyang's third nuclear test in February 2013.
Beijing's wariness grew with the execution of Jang Song-thaek, who was North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's uncle and a key intermediary between the two neighbours, in December.
Under President Xi Jinping, China has been slightly more forceful in complying with United Nations sanctions and in deterring North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Last month, Xi bucked long tradition by visiting Seoul before Pyongyang.
