The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations on 30 October 1948.

During the initial period of the Korean conflict, motivated by the recent Tito-Stalin split and contrary to other countries in Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia remained firmly not aligned to any of the blocs in the Korean War.

[1] Yugoslavian literature compared attack on South Korea by North Korea as similar to the attack on Yugoslavia by the German Army and the attack on Hawaii by the Japanese army while Yugoslav representation at the United Nations even accused the Soviet Union of having started the Korean War.

[2][1] Relations were very close during the later time of Josip Broz Tito and Kim Il Sung.

Both leaders had taken a neutral stance during the Sino-Soviet split and maintained friendly relations with both the Soviet Union and China.