Cuba y la República de Corea. Del reconocimiento del Estado a las relaciones diplomáticas (1949-2024)

Cuba was the last country to establish diplo­matic relations with the Republic of Korea, doing so on February 14, 2024. Notably, however, it was the first nation in Latin America and the Caribbean to recognize Korea, preceding Brazil, which also recog­nized Korea in 1949. The absence of con­crete evidence of the official establishment of diplomatic ties on July 12, 1949, or the subsequent cessation of these ties—likely due to de facto recognition of the Demo­cratic People’s Republic of Korea following the Cuban Revolution in 1959—necessi­tates a re-evaluation of the terms “establish­ment” and “re-establishment” in the context of renewed relations in 2024. The year 2024 also marks the 75th anniversary of Cuba’s official recognition of the Republic of Korea and the commencement of diplomatic rela­tions between the two countries. This article explores the evolution of the largely unknown relations between Cuba and Korea, which has been the focus of an in-depth investigation initiated in 2022. Some elements within this article will be presented academically for the first time, while others have appeared in previ­ous works by the author in the Republic of Korea. The two countries, in their historical interactions, share the unique characteristic of having maintained diplomatic relations without bilateral disputes, establishing a foundation for a new phase of cooperation based on these enduring ties.