Korea to Normalize Ties with Cuba This Year

The government wants to normalize diplomatic ties with Cuba this year, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told lawmakers Tuesday. Ties were severed under U.S. pressure in 1959.

Yun said Seoul is generally keen to "expand the basis for reciprocal cooperation" with Latin American nations and pledged to "pursue the normalization of diplomatic ties with Cuba."

Korea, the U.S. and Israel are the only countries that have no official ties with Cuba. But the Obama administration normalized diplomatic ties with Havana in December, raising hopes that Seoul can follow suit.