Shadow Diplomacy: The Hidden Axis Between North Korea and Myanmar
It’s always been a fascination of mine to see the alliances that don’t make the news. Not the usual relationship that is talked about in press conferences or at international summits, but the not-so-obvious, not-so-noticed relationship that happens in the backstories of world politics. One case of such a relationship is North Korea and Myanmar, which is subtle, complex and very strategic. I stumbled upon this relationship for the first time and was surprised at how it was, in a way, contradictory. Both nations are far apart and different in culture. On the other hand, they have something more powerful in common: isolation. Both have been subject to international sanctions and diplomatic pressure as well as an intricate relationship with the world order. Maybe it’s in their common subordination, their common deprivation. Traditionally, their connections go back to the early days following Myanmar’s independence in 1948. But not all of the time did it carry a friendly relationship. In the Korean War, Myanmar endorsed the UN’s against North Korea perspective. The connection was established only after the military coup by Myanmar in 1962, due to their shared anti-imperialist perspective, as many analysts put it.[1]
This relationship has been interesting to me because it wasn’t a straightforward progression, but a turning and breaking point and then a realignment. In 1983, North Korean agents bombed the South Korean President’s visit to Yangon, one of the more eye-catching moments. This attack left 21 dead and shook the leadership of Myanmar, which severed relations with the attackers.It was then that one might have thought of the relationship coming to an end. However geopolitics seldom has a straightforward story. Diplomatic relations were restored by 2007. What made these two countries reunite?
Myanmar was a resource-rich country, but was limited by international sanctions, and thus required military technology. North Korea is an isolated, economically challenged nation that required partners willing to engage in the face of global restrictions. That need was mutual and resulted in a subtle but strong alignment. This wasn’t a diplomatic relationship, it was a strategic exchange, I realized as I dug deeper. Myanmar has reportedly received missile technology, artillery and even some training in nuclear development from North Korea. There has been some doubt regarding the presence of a nuclear program but for years there has been concern about cooperation for that purpose.[2]That’s when the concept of shadow diplomacy comes into attention for me.
Shadow diplomacy is not a formal alliance, it is a form of diplomacy in ambiguity. It works best in a deniability mode. Ships dock quietly. Delegations travel discreetly. Agreements are not usually made public but the impact of their decisions can be seen, particularly in the military power of the states subject to sanctions. I find it intriguing how both countries use this relationship in order to maneuver through the international system. North Korea has a long history of trading military know-how for money and influence. Since escalating pressure from Western countries, Myanmar is now more inclined to pursue alternative sources of weapons, particularly after the military coup in 2021.[3] This is no cooperation, it is adaptation!
Strategically speaking, the North Korea-Myanmar axis is a sign of the changing world order. There is a trend towards a multipolar world with a rise of states that look for other partnerships outside the Western one. These bonds can be informal alliances and still be powerful. I think this is a kind of resistance, not so much an ideological resistance as a structural resistance. If the main stream systems exclude states, they develop parallel systems. These networks aren’t necessarily as obvious, but they tend to be more adaptable and resilient. But that brings up a troubling thought: what’s the price of it?
It is hard not to consider the ethical aspect of this relationship. When two heavily sanctioned governments are working together in the military sector, there are always worries about human rights and regional stability. Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has been harshly criticized for its actions against the civilian population. The threat of external help from North Korea or others bolstering the regime’s ability to crush dissent is very concerning. North Korea’s record of arms development has also been a worry for the international community. Its operations in various parts of the world in the field of missiles and nuclear power projects highlight its threats.
In my mind I am torn between two ways of looking at it.
On the other hand, states have the right to pursue their security and strategic interests. Unconventional partnerships are not uncommon in a world where powerfully places the rules. With this perspective, the North Korea – Myanmar relationship is only a logical reaction to geopolitical forces. But the impacts of such relationships go beyond strategy. They impact real individuals, civilians with governments bolstered by foreign backing, areas under siege from the proliferation of cutting edge weapons, and an international system whose rules and regulations are difficult to maintain. It’s this conflicting nature of strategy and ethics that makes shadow diplomacy so fascinating and so risky.
What’s interesting for me is that there are not much attention paid on these relationships as compared to the more visible conflicts. In the midst of all the hype over great power competition, these less glamorous alliances play a more nuanced and important role in the strategic equation. In many ways, the North Korea–Myanmar relationship is a new form of geopolitics, one in which the two nations cooperate in a functional rather than a formal way. It is a matter of life, adaptation and functioning inside and outside the norms of the international system. In my mind I can only see how these shadow networks will develop in the future. Will these grow stronger as the world becomes more polarized? Will they be constrained by foreign pressure in the end? That’s the thing I know: We can’t turn our backs on them. For, after all, politics is more than what we see in the world, it is what we don’t see in the world.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Opinion Desk.
[1] Historical evolution of North Korea–Myanmar relations and post-1962 alignment
[2] Military cooperation, nuclear concerns, and technology exchange
[3]Strategic alignment and arms-related cooperation under sanctions