North Korea has sent its ambassador to Egypt to the ongoing U.N. climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, marking one of the few international diplomatic events the DPRK has attended during the global pandemic.
An official video of Sunday’s opening plenary for COP27 shows a participant wearing what appears to be a North Korean badge featuring founder Kim Il Sung, and a comparison of the video and an official photo against images of Ma in Vietnamese and Egyptian media confirms that the man is North Korea’s Ambassador to Egypt Ma Tong Hui.
The official is seated next to a Democratic Republic of the Congo delegation led by environment minister Eve Bazaiba Masudi, an alphabetical placement that further indicates he is indeed the DPRK’s representative.
North Korea’s decision to send Ma to COP27 comes after the country’s ambassador to the U.K. attended last year’s COP26 conference in Glasgow, as well as its participation in other major international climate forums in the past.
Despite its reputation for isolation, North Korea has long been an active participant in climate diplomacy and is a signatory to global treaties including the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, among others.
Experts link this willingness to engage on environmental issues to North Korea’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change, in particular as the country faces food security issues stemming from drought, flooding and other natural disasters.
State media often highlights key domestic environmental concerns such as deforestation as well as the wider climate issues facing the planet, but there remain questions about North Korea’s commitment to global targets given its continued emphasis on coal power.
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