List of ambassadors of Sweden to North Korea
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The Ambassador of Sweden to North Korea (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the Supreme Leader and government of North Korea. Sweden is the protecting power of United States interests in North Korea. Until 2001, Sweden was the only western state with unbroken diplomatic representation in the city. The Swedish embassy has consular representation for Australia, Canada and the Nordic countries.
Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
| Ambassador of Sweden to North Korea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ministry for Foreign Affairs Swedish Embassy, Pyongyang | |
| Style | His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal) |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Residence | Munsudong 3, Taedonggang-guyok |
| Seat | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Appointer | Government of Sweden |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Inaugural holder | Arne Björnberg |
| Formation | May 1973 |
| Website | Swedish Embassy, Pyongyang |
History
On 6 April 1973, the Swedish government decided, as the first Western European country, in the Council of State to recognize North Korea.[1] Two days later, on 8 April, North Korea announced that it had received and accepted Sweden's proposal to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.[2] In May of the same year, Sweden's ambassador in Beijing, Arne Björnberg, was also accredited to North Korea.[3] Björnberg presented his credentials to President Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on 24 May 1973. Björnberg was the first diplomat to present his credentials to Kim Il Sung, who had become president the year before.[4]
On 6 December 1974, Erik Cornell was appointed Sweden's first counsellor and chargé d'affaires ad interim in Pyongyang.[5] The Swedish embassy opened in February 1975.[6] Until 2002, the Swedish ambassador was still accredited from Beijing, when Paul Beijer was appointed as Sweden's first resident ambassador in Pyongyang.[7]
List of representatives
| Name | Period | Resident/Non resident | Title | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arne Björnberg | May 1973 – 1974 |  Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [3][8] |
| Kaj Björk | 1975–1979 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [9] |
| Erik Cornell | 1975–1977 |  Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [10][11] | |
| Karlerik Nordenquist | 1977–1979 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [12] | |
| Ingolf Kiesow | 1979–1981 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [13][14] | |
| Sten Sundfeldt | 1980–1982 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [15] |
| – | 1983–1983 | Ambassador | Vacant | [16] | |
| Per Fritzson | 1982–1983 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [16][17] | |
| Ulla Boija | 1983–1985 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [18] | |
| Lars Bergquist | 1984–1988 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [19] |
| Gudmund Naessén | 1985–1988 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [19][20] | |
| Björn Skala | 1988–1991 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [21] |
| Göran Wide | 1989–1992 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [22][23] | |
| Sven Linder | 1992–1997 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [24] |
| – | 1993–1994 | Chargé d'affaires | Vacant | [25][26] | |
| Åke Lövquist | 1995–1997 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[a] | [24][27] | |
| Kjell Anneling | 1997–2002 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Beijing. | [28] |
| Svante Kilander | 1998–2001 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[b] | [29] | |
| Paul Beijer | 2001–2002 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires[b] | [28] | |
| Paul Beijer | 2002–2005 | Resident | Ambassador | [30] | |
| Mats Foyer | 2005–2010 | Resident | Ambassador | [31] | |
| Barbro Elm | 2010–2012 | Resident | Ambassador | [32] | |
| Karl-Olof Andersson | 2012–2014 | Resident | Ambassador | [32] | |
| Torkel Stiernlöf | 2014–2017 | Resident | Ambassador | [33] | |
| Jonas Wendel | 1 September 2017 – 2019 | Resident | Ambassador | [34] | |
| Joachim Bergström | 1 September 2019 – 2021 | Resident | Ambassador | [35] | |
| Andreas Bengtsson | 1 September 2021 – 2026 | Resident | Ambassador | [36] | |
| Josef Ahlberg | August 2026 – present | Resident | Ambassador | [37] |
See also
Footnotes
- Held the diplomatic rank of embassy counsellor.
- Held the diplomatic rank of minister.
