Staff Of The Indonesian Embassy In Pyongyang Leaves North Korea Via China

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/between/the Indonesian Embassy in Pyongyang

JAKARTA - As many as 15 staff of the Indonesian Embassy in Pyongyang, including the ambassador, left North Korea via China.

They arrived in Dandong, Liaoning province, China, which is separated by a river from North Korea, Friday, July 23.

They will then undergo quarantine for 14 days in China before leaving for Indonesia.

The staff of the Indonesian embassy in North Korea and the only staff of the Bulgarian embassy were among the entourage of diplomats and expatriates who left North Korea via China by land on Friday afternoon so that fewer foreigners remained in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, NK News was quoted as saying. Between,

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously decided to temporarily repatriate ambassadors and diplomats from North Korea in response to the regional lockdown imposed by the country related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, since the end of 2020 the North Korean government has invited foreign representatives to temporarily transfer or repatriate foreign diplomatic staff or international organizations from the country.

"This appeal is given considering that the North Korean government has implemented a lockdown by closing access to the traffic of people and goods. This policy was enforced by the North Korean government since the beginning of the pandemic until an undetermined time limit," he said.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry stated in December 2020 that it was unlikely that the country would relax restrictions until the COVID-19 pandemic was over. Some believe the lockdown will last until 2022 or 2023.