After the Singapore foreign minister's visit to North Korea, he remarked that Pyongyang's development was impressive, with urban scenery comparable to those in Southeast Asia.

Singapore's Foreign Minister Visits North Korea, Leaving Him Astonished — Pyongyang Is Now No Less Impressive Than Southeast Asian Cities

From May 26 to 27, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Kho was invited by North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an official visit. This marks the first time in eight years that a Singaporean foreign minister has visited North Korea.

After concluding his visit, Vivian gave an interview to Singaporean media in Seoul, stating he observed three notable changes in North Korea.

First, the transformation of Pyongyang. He noted that over the past eight years, Pyongyang has continuously grown and developed. The city is clean, modern, well-organized, meticulously planned, and its residents are busy with their daily lives. The appearance of this city stands up to any modern urban center in Southeast Asia or Northeast Asia.

Second, the shift in inter-Korean relations. Vivian said that North Korea currently maintains a “clear and complete rejection of Korean reunification,” a stance that appears to have been reinforced recently.

Third, North Korea’s engagement with the outside world. Vivian stated: “At present, North Korea seems unwilling to engage with the outside world—whether with the United States or South Korea. Instead, they are focusing on strengthening self-reliance and military deterrence.”

From Vivian’s remarks, it’s evident that today’s North Korea has truly surprised him. The achievements attained through independent development were clearly beyond what he had anticipated.

So, how should we view this? I have two observations:

First, Vivian’s visit clearly challenges the widespread international perception of North Korea as poor and backward.

In reality, over the years, the North Korean people have been steadily building their nation through their own efforts, undeterred by external noise—a key strength for North Korea.

Second, Vivian has keenly identified North Korea’s current stance on inter-Korean relations and its approach toward external contact.

There are multiple reasons behind these decisions. Between 2018 and 2019, North Korea actively engaged with the outside world, including historic summits between North Korean and U.S. leaders, as well as high-level visits by North Korea’s leader to Vietnam and Singapore.

At that time, North Korea sought to break out of international isolation through diplomatic channels and push for the lifting of UN sanctions imposed by the U.S.-led Western bloc.

However, this round of proactive diplomacy yielded very limited results. As a result, today’s North Korea prefers to focus more energy on domestic development—a pragmatic choice.

In short, we should show respect and understanding toward North Korea’s choices. After all, every country has the freedom and right to choose a development path suited to its own circumstances.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866538329394187/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.