Relations between North Korea and Romania became strained after Romania 's Communist government fell . Ceausescu 's execution during the 1989 Romanian Revolution and the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in Romania rejecting the totalitarian ideology that the North Korean government still promotes . Romania allied itself with nations hostile to the DPRK : it established relations with North Korea 's rival the Republic of Korea ( South Korea ) on March 30 , 1990 , entered NATO in 2004 , and joined the European Union in 2007 . However , it continues to maintain ties in the educational field . In 2016 , the Romanian Foreign Affairs ministry reacted to North Korea 's hydrogen bomb test that occurred in January with a statement of concern that this test posed " ... a challenge to peace and security in the region "
hydrogen bomb
January 2016 North Korean nuclear test
North Korea–Romania relations