"South Korea Establishes Formal Diplomatic Ties with Cuba, Rattling North Korea"

South Korea has established diplomatic relations with Cuba, a long-time ally of North Korea, with their UN representatives exchanging letters in New York and agreeing to open diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. Cuba maintains close ties with North Korea due to their shared socialist ideology and hostility towards the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has referred to late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as a "comrade-in-arms". This move marks an important shift for South Korea in strengthening its diplomacy in the Latin American region.