Since the February coup of 1948, Czechoslovakia belonged to the so-called Eastern Bloc, and its policy was dependent on the Soviet Union. This dependence applied not only to clearly articulated positions on the Korean War (1950–53), but also to the subsequent one-sided foreign policy that remained oriented toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea until 1989. Czechoslovakia concluded several standard agreements with its North Korean partner; some of them were implemented on a reciprocal basis, but most took the form of so-called fraternal assistance — whether it involved the construction and support of a hospital, the development of light industry, the supply of machinery, the transfer of know-how, or the dispatch of Czechoslovak specialists to Korea.

Czechoslovakia did not participate in the conflict militarily but played a role in the implementation of the Armistice Agreement as a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), as well as in the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. Another Czechoslovak footprint left behind in Korea was the mobile surgical field hospital incorporated into the 56th Military Hospital on North Korean territory, and a hospital in Ch’ŏngjin was built at Czechoslovakia’s expense. Both governmental and civilian material aid flowed into Korea, and Czechoslovakians took part in petition campaigns, the best-known being “Hands Off Korea,” the Stockholm Appeal, and the Peace Defenders’ Pact. Czechoslovakia accepted war orphans and provided education for young Koreans long-term. Assistance was also provided in the cultural sphere, particularly in the establishment and material support of the Korean film industry. During the Korean War, the Czechoslovak cultural scene responded to the conflict through numerous films, publications, and artistic works.

After the tense years of the Korean War, relations between the Czechoslovak Republic and the DPRK followed established patterns, including visits by political representatives — among them Kim Ilsung in 1956 — and performances by dance and music ensembles. The most notable was a 1956 performance by the world-famous dancer Ch’oe Sŭnghǔi. Nearly every visit took place as part of a European tour during which Korean delegations visited one friendly Eastern European state after another. The friendly relations also resulted in several international marriages.

The intensity of contacts in the following decades varied depending on the DPRK’s relations with the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China and as so they declined markedly from the 1960s onward. From the 1970s, the DPRK focused on the Third World, aspiring to become its leader, while in the 1980s, economic crisis became evident, and active contacts ceased altogether after 1989. This does not mean they formally ended — they still persist today, albeit at a minimal level.