Diplomatic life inside North Korea: 'Superficial, difficult, and controlled'

North Korea is the last place many would consider as an international diplomatic hub, but the world's most isolated country has a surprising number of foreign embassies. Despite a record of human rights abuse and nuclear testing, the 'hermit-kingdom' still maintains diplomatic relations with 164 countries — 25 of them with embassies in the capital of Pyongyang, including the United Kingdom and Sweden. John Blaxland, head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, said diplomatic work in North Korea was unlike working in any other country.

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