Havana: South Korea opened its embassy in Cuba this week, the foreign ministry said Saturday, nearly a year after the two countries forged diplomatic relations that took the world by surprise, including Cuba's Cold War-era ally, North Korea. An opening ceremony took place at the embassy in the Miramar district in Havana on Friday (local time), attended by Lee Joo-il, director-general for Central and South American affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, and Carlos Pereira, director general for bilateral affairs at the Cuban foreign ministry, among other officials.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea is expected to announce its ambassador to Cuba soon. A career diplomat currently stationed in a Central American country has reportedly been designated for the position after Havana gave consent for the appointment, a diplomatic procedure known as "agrement." Meanwhile, Cuba has appointed Claudio Monzon Baeza as its top envoy to South Korea, with Monzon assuming his post last week.

South Korea and Cuba made the surprise announcement on February 14 last year regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations, which was seen as a significant move impacting North Korea, a long-time ally of Cuba since the Cold War era. Following the announcement, Seoul and Havana have been working to establish diplomatic missions in each other's countries, with South Korea setting up a temporary office in Havana and dispatching diplomats as an interim step.

The South Korean foreign ministry stated that they expect the embassy opening to enhance convenience for their nationals residing in or visiting Cuba by providing consular services and protection. They also anticipate it will contribute to expanding bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Currently, around 30 South Korean nationals are living in Cuba, according to ministry data.

Cuba is also expected to open its embassy in Seoul in the coming months, further solidifying the new diplomatic relations between the two nations.