By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba on Feb. 14 in a surprise announcement that could pose a setback to North Korea that has long boasted brotherly ties with the Latin American country.

In New York, the two countries' representatives to the United Nations exchanged diplomatic notes, marking the establishment of formal ties. Cuba is the 193rd country which South Korea has built diplomatic relations with.

The announcement marked a culmination of Seoul's steadfast efforts to build a formal relationship with Cuba and expand its diplomatic foothold in Central and South America on the back of growing cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Although Cuba officially recognized South Korea in 1949, bilateral exchanges were effectively severed after Fidel Castro seized power in a 1959 revolution. On the contrary, Cuba and North Korea have maintained brotherly ties since they forged diplomatic relations in 1960.

Related to this, the President's Office said on Feb. 15 that the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Cuba is "the culmination of South Korea's diplomacy with the socialist bloc, which has been North Korea's friend in the past, including the Eastern Bloc countries."

"In the end, this is a clear demonstration of the prevailing trend in the course of history and who the prevailing trend is," a senior presidential office official told reporters at the office in Yongsan.

The official noted that Cuba has been referred to as North Korea's "brotherly country," adding, "That's right. That's why the diplomatic ties are likely to be a significant political and psychological blow to North Korea."