Mongolia’s new ambassador to North Korea took up his position in Pyongyang in December, marking the first time a country excluding China or Russia has replenished its embassy staff since the DPRK shut its borders due to COVID-19. The ambassador, who the Mongolian foreign ministry website confirms is named L.Erdeneddavaa, arrived with multiple other diplomatic staff in North Korea at the end of last year.

China’s embassy in Pyongyang also confirmed the arrival of Mongolia’s new ambassador after reporting Beijing’s representative in the DPRK Wang Yajun had met with L.Erdeneddavaa when he paid a visit to the embassy on Wednesday.

Despite receiving his credentials in Oct. 2021, Ambassador L.Erdeneddavaa was not able to enter the country until December due to North Korea’s stringent COVID-19 border policies, which until last summer prohibited even China and Russia from rotating their diplomatic staff. As of January last year, just two staff members remained active at the Mongolian Embassy in Pyongyang.

Only nine countries had functional embassies in Pyongyang as of last January, as many evacuated staff amid North Korea’s border restrictions. North Korea has slowly begun to open its borders since last year, allowing close allies China and Russia to rotate staff from March.

Mongolia maintains friendly relations with both Koreas and has hosted high-level meetings with and about North Korea in the past. It also regularly sends congratulatory and other messages to Kim Jong Un to mark various DPRK events.

In 2022, Mongolian President U. Khurelsukh invited Kim Jong Un for a visit at his convenience, while in 2018 the country offered to host the first meeting between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump, with multiple media sources reporting Ulaanbaatar was among the top contenders as a venue.

Former Mongolian President N.Bagabandi visited the DPRK in 2004, meeting then-nominal head of state Kim Yong Nam instead of Kim Jong Il. Former President Ts.Elebegdorj also paid a visit to Pyongyang in Oct. 2013 but did not meet Kim Jong Un.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung visited Mongolia in 1956 and 1988.