8 ms·

Meanwhile instead of some fancy building, their embassy over here is... Well, a little more domestic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_North_Korea,_Lon

Meanwhile instead of some fancy building, their embassy over here is... Well, a little more domestic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_North_Korea,_London https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_North_Korea,_London

rpeden 2y ago
Kind of reminds me of some of the embassies of smaller countries in Ottawa when I lived there. There are quite a few in houses like this along Somerset Street if I'm remembering correctly.
- dmurray 2y ago
  It's also normal for embassies of big countries in smaller countries. In Dublin there are a few big embassy compounds (US, Russia, UK, Germany are the only ones I can think of). Everyone else, even big dogs like China and India, has a converted house or a floor in an office block. Lots of pictures on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Dublin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in...
qingcharles 2y ago
Amazing! Still a bloody expensive property, even 20 years ago. Is that a flagpole in the front garden?
- chgs 2y ago
  £1.3m. You’d struggle to get a 3 bed semi for that nowadays.
  - qingcharles 2y ago
    Amen. That's a studio flat. And by studio flat, I mean a room in an attic with no windows.
- londons_explore 2y ago
  Just outside the embassy is another pole, but with lots of cameras and radio gear looking into the embassy. Clearly the days of spycraft aren't over.
yazzku 2y ago
It's like the mom and pop shop around the corner.
- UberFly 2y ago
  Except it's a house of horrors.
lordnacho 2y ago
The impression I got, from attending a school with a lot of diplomat kids, is that a lot of countries have embassies as a sort of foreign holiday for their ruling classes. Now NK being a bit antagonistic and paranoid might be an exception, but I distinctly got the impression that there were a lot of countries that didn't really do a lot of diplomatic work with the host countries, but the embassy meant they could send some families to go live in the west and have their school paid for by the state. Those kinds of embassies don't need to be in the fancy embassy district.
- Dah00n 2y ago
  Also most of the work is done by the CIA and NSA.
  - rurban 2y ago
    The NSA stays at home. There are some diplomatic normal folks to do the consularic work (visa, lost passports), the rest is secret service (recruiting agents, influencing the press, police, "diplomatic" ie secret communication, contacts to other embassies and the host).
    - jazzyjackson 2y ago
      And if it's a cross border offensive it's more likely to be Air Force Space Command (since, you know, cyberspace is right above regular space which is just a little higher than airspace :p) (its just that electronic warfare is a natural extension of long range, lets call it, interference) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Operations_Command&diffonly=true https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Operation...
- jazzyjackson 2y ago
  The embassies are not my ballgame but I get the impression they are not there because a lot of diplomacy needs to be done all the time - but to already exist when the need for diplomacy arises. Open channels of communication and all that. An alternate explanation to your point is that countries would like to have the appearance of being as shadowy and influential as what the CIA has going on. I'll quote (AFKA) mos def [0] and also link to the 99% invisible episode in number stations [1]. Some countries broadcast codes nonstop A in case they ever need to, no one can tell they just started and B to have the appearance they have covert agents behind enemy lines, just to be spooky. Mentioned that he worked for the embassy People seem to find that interesting High status, intrigue and mystery Special code name on the hotel registry I love it when they say "Enjoy your stay" They say it how they mean it 'Cause that's the way they been trained Show you to your room A suite with a view When, if anything at all Do not hesitate to call ... Salutations, congratulations Reservations, exclusive arrangements Dinner with the patrons, the scenery is amazing It's so outrageous, they whisper when they say it When it's really real it's even realer than "The Matrix" Classic, modern, ancient, flagrant Get a special thrill every time they get to say it Peace! I work with the embassy On behalf of imagination industry I come visit, you come visit Such a pleasure, official business La, la, la, la... (Boogey, boogey, man, man) [0] https://genius.com/Yasiin-bey-the-embassy-lyrics https://genius.com/Yasiin-bey-the-embassy-lyrics [1] https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/numbers-stations/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/numbers-stations/
londons_explore 2y ago
I went in once. They had an open-day demonstrating the skills of north Korean artists. The artwork was decent, and the experience a good one overall. Every room had a picture of Kim, obviously.
- InitialLastName 2y ago
  Every public room in my state's DMVs has a picture of the governor, so that last bit may not mean as much as you think it does.
  - yencabulator 2y ago
    That just means that US and North Korea are weird in the same way.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
  - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
    What state do you live in? I can't imagine that happening here in Washington state, even if our DMVs are all one big room.

rpeden 2y ago

Kind of reminds me of some of the embassies of smaller countries in Ottawa when I lived there. There are quite a few in houses like this along Somerset Street if I'm remembering correctly.

dmurray 2y ago
It's also normal for embassies of big countries in smaller countries. In Dublin there are a few big embassy compounds (US, Russia, UK, Germany are the only ones I can think of). Everyone else, even big dogs like China and India, has a converted house or a floor in an office block. Lots of pictures on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Dublin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in...

qingcharles 2y ago

Amazing! Still a bloody expensive property, even 20 years ago. Is that a flagpole in the front garden?

chgs 2y ago
£1.3m. You’d struggle to get a 3 bed semi for that nowadays.
- qingcharles 2y ago
  Amen. That's a studio flat. And by studio flat, I mean a room in an attic with no windows.
londons_explore 2y ago
Just outside the embassy is another pole, but with lots of cameras and radio gear looking into the embassy. Clearly the days of spycraft aren't over.

yazzku 2y ago

It's like the mom and pop shop around the corner.

UberFly 2y ago
Except it's a house of horrors.

lordnacho 2y ago

The impression I got, from attending a school with a lot of diplomat kids, is that a lot of countries have embassies as a sort of foreign holiday for their ruling classes. Now NK being a bit antagonistic and paranoid might be an exception, but I distinctly got the impression that there were a lot of countries that didn't really do a lot of diplomatic work with the host countries, but the embassy meant they could send some families to go live in the west and have their school paid for by the state. Those kinds of embassies don't need to be in the fancy embassy district.

Dah00n 2y ago
Also most of the work is done by the CIA and NSA.
- rurban 2y ago
  The NSA stays at home. There are some diplomatic normal folks to do the consularic work (visa, lost passports), the rest is secret service (recruiting agents, influencing the press, police, "diplomatic" ie secret communication, contacts to other embassies and the host).
  - jazzyjackson 2y ago
    And if it's a cross border offensive it's more likely to be Air Force Space Command (since, you know, cyberspace is right above regular space which is just a little higher than airspace :p) (its just that electronic warfare is a natural extension of long range, lets call it, interference) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Operations_Command&diffonly=true https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Operation...
jazzyjackson 2y ago
The embassies are not my ballgame but I get the impression they are not there because a lot of diplomacy needs to be done all the time - but to already exist when the need for diplomacy arises. Open channels of communication and all that. An alternate explanation to your point is that countries would like to have the appearance of being as shadowy and influential as what the CIA has going on. I'll quote (AFKA) mos def [0] and also link to the 99% invisible episode in number stations [1]. Some countries broadcast codes nonstop A in case they ever need to, no one can tell they just started and B to have the appearance they have covert agents behind enemy lines, just to be spooky. Mentioned that he worked for the embassy People seem to find that interesting High status, intrigue and mystery Special code name on the hotel registry I love it when they say "Enjoy your stay" They say it how they mean it 'Cause that's the way they been trained Show you to your room A suite with a view When, if anything at all Do not hesitate to call ... Salutations, congratulations Reservations, exclusive arrangements Dinner with the patrons, the scenery is amazing It's so outrageous, they whisper when they say it When it's really real it's even realer than "The Matrix" Classic, modern, ancient, flagrant Get a special thrill every time they get to say it Peace! I work with the embassy On behalf of imagination industry I come visit, you come visit Such a pleasure, official business La, la, la, la... (Boogey, boogey, man, man) [0] https://genius.com/Yasiin-bey-the-embassy-lyrics https://genius.com/Yasiin-bey-the-embassy-lyrics [1] https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/numbers-stations/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/numbers-stations/

londons_explore 2y ago

I went in once. They had an open-day demonstrating the skills of north Korean artists. The artwork was decent, and the experience a good one overall. Every room had a picture of Kim, obviously.

InitialLastName 2y ago
Every public room in my state's DMVs has a picture of the governor, so that last bit may not mean as much as you think it does.
- yencabulator 2y ago
  That just means that US and North Korea are weird in the same way.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  What state do you live in? I can't imagine that happening here in Washington state, even if our DMVs are all one big room.