The message was sent on behalf of the Queen by the UK Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) “as has been done before”, the spokesperson said.
This is a common practice on other national days around the world, the Palace added. “His Majesty in all relations with other heads of state acts on the advice of the FCDO,” the spokesman said.
“As in previous years, HM The Queen has sent a message to the people of the DPRK on the occasion of its National Day,” a UK FCDO spokesman added.
North Korea’s state media, KCNA, posted the message on Monday and reported that Kim Jong Un, chairman of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), received a greeting message from Isabel II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on 7 September. “
According to KCNA, the message read, “As the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea celebrate their National Day, I send my best wishes for the future.”
The country, notoriously lonely, broke almost all ties with the outside world in 2020 to prevent an influx of coronavirus cases. North Korea has not reported a major outbreak of Covid-19 and there have been no indications that it had occurred, although experts doubt Pyongyang’s claim that the country has not seen any cases of the virus.
Most, if not all, foreign diplomats and aid workers have left the country, alleging shortages of goods and extreme restrictions on daily life.
In June, Kim fired several senior officials who were unable to enforce North Korea’s rigorous prevention of Covid-19, state news agency KCNA reported. It appears that some members of the top levels of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party were replaced, KCNA said.
CNN’s Max Foster reported from London, England, and Gawon Bae, from Seoul, South Korea.