The decision by U.S. President Barack Obama to press for the restoration of diplomatic ties with Cuba after 53 years of hostility is forcing the very small band of countries that followed Washington’s lead and blocked relations with Havana to reassess this policy. The only two countries that have taken their cue from the U.S. are South Korea and Israel. For South Korea, formal diplomatic ties with Havana will merely legitimize what has been going on behind the curtain. Since the mid-1990s South Korea has been exporting cars and appliances to Cuba via third countries. South Korea is Cuba’s third-largest trading partner in Asia after China and Vietnam.
