King Charles sends 'good wishes' to North Korea on country's anniversary

11 September 2023 , 14:22

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North Korea leader Kim Jong Un waves during a paramilitary parade marking 75th founding anniversary (Image: AP)

King Charles sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un congratulating him on the anniversary of the country’s founding.

The message, seen by the Mirror, read: "As the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea celebrate their National Day, I send my good wishes for the future." The King sending his good wishes has raised eyebrows as Jong-un is a brutal dictator who represses his citizens, denies them freedom of movement and causes starvation.

Queen Elizabeth II sent a message with very similar wording to North Korea in 2021. At the time, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that it was "standard practice" for national days across the world and "has been done before." It is understood the King is following in his late mother's footsteps, on advice from the Foreign Office.

King Charles III sent well wishes to North Korea (Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)

North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA said Jong-un also received well wishes from a number of other heads of state, with countries and territories listed including Singapore, Nepal, Bahrain and Mozambique. North Korea invited Chinese delegates and Russian artists to a midnight paramilitary parade in the capital Pyongyang to mark the country’s founding anniversary on Saturday.

Due to the severe restrictions imposed in the country, where little to no outsiders are allowed in, it is hard to get a clear picture of the suffering North Koreans face. However, aid agencies and human rights organisations have sounded the alarm over conditions. The United Nations says an estimated 11 million people in the country lack sufficient nutritious food, clean drinking water or access to basic services like health and sanitation.

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During the infamous famine in the 1990s, many North Korean people were able to escape to China in search of food. But under Jong-un's rule, the number of escapees has plummeted. He has done this under the pretext of protecting the population against Covid-19. Human Rights Watch wrote in a report: "He [Jong-un] imposed unnecessary and extreme measures that far exceed the impact of the Security Council sanctions, including blocking almost all unofficial and official trade, increasing surveillance to prevent information or people from entering or leaving the country, using forced labour to build up the economy, and creating an artificial food and humanitarian crisis.

Jong-un has also marked his reign with extreme military threats against neighbours and the West. Last year, North Korea broke records with 68 military tests in 2022—10 times more than in 2021. Today, it was confirmed that Jong-un will visit Russia and he is expected to hold a highly anticipated meeting with warmonger President Vladimir Putin that has sparked Western concerns about a potential arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The MIrror contacted the Palace for comment.

Rachel Hagan